Archive for June, 2008

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2008 Fearless Predictions Update

Posted in Christianity, Church, Environment, Faith, God, Megachurch, Politics, Religion with tags , on June 30, 2008 by floatingaxhead

We’re halfway through 2008, so we thought we take a look at the “fearless predictions” we made back in January.

Democrats will lose the Presidential election. The Republicans have a better machine and come crunch time they will crank it up and make the Democrats look foolish - again.

Still feeling pretty good about this one. Forget that the current Republican administration has dismal ratings. Like the Cubs, the Democrats will find a way to lose.

A megachurch will make headlines when they stop counting attendance and focus on quality over quantity.

We might have gone a little too far with this one as it doesn’t look like this is anywhere on the horizon - unless you count the Willow Creek Reveal Study. Probably just wishful thinking.

Evangelicals will splinter. Does anyone really believe that James Dobson, Joel Osteen, Bill Hybels, Pat Robertson, and Rick Warren are on the same page?

Think this isn’t happening? Read this story from last week on the splinter that Global Warming is causing among evangelicals. Here’s what the other half says.

“Back to the basics” will be a common theme among churches. You’ll hear more preaching from the pulpit (that’s the stage for the megachurchers or microchurchers, or whatever you’re calling yourself) on studying and learning scripture. The pages of Acts in your Bible will be worn out.

There is some evidence of this here. Lifechurch.tv’s “One Prayer” was an effort to breakdown the denominationalism that has controlled our churches for decades and get “back to the basics” by joining together and creating real change.

Somewhere a Christian group will boycott something stupid that will make the rest of us look silly (okay, so this one isn’t really fearless).

Did someone say Fred Phelps?

The rest of the world will continue to develop methods to combat Global Climate Change and the United States will continue to consume resources as if they are infinite. Many Christians, believing the Republican Party is right on this issue, will continue to ignore that this is God’s Earth and we should treat it as such.

Alright…we take this one back. It wasn’t fearless after all.

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Building A Religion

Posted in Culture, Politics, Religion, Video with tags , on June 28, 2008 by floatingaxhead

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White Men Can’t Listen

Posted in Christianity, Church, Faith, Religion on June 27, 2008 by floatingaxhead

Romans 10:17 - “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Everytime I hear this scripture it reminds me of this line in White Men Can’t Jump:

“Look man, you can listen to Jimi but you can’t hear him. There’s a difference man. Just because you’re listening to him doesn’t mean you’re hearing him.”

How much time do we spend listening to God without hearing him?

Giving? I’m down with that. Just tell me who to write the check to. But don’t ask for too much because I’ve got big plans.

What? Give of my time. There are barely enough hours in the day for me right now.

Study the scriptures daily? Didn’t you hear what I just said?

Serve? Do you seriously expect me to hand out talk notes every Sunday? Have you seen the people who do that?

C’mon God, aren’t you listening to me?

Yes I am, but you aren’t hearing me.

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Sin is Sin

Posted in Religion on June 26, 2008 by floatingaxhead

Is all sin the same? James, our first book of the new testament says this in verse 10…“for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” I think the point here is all sin condemns but sin is not the same…God does not feel the same about all sin.

Is all sin the same…is speeding and murder the same to God?

1 Corinthians 6:18-20…Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

So sin is different to God…he even says he detests lying lips in Proverbs 12:22. But churches really don’t like talking about the sin-word, especially as it relates to immorality. They’re becoming more antinomian…God is all love and grace but no moral absolutes.

The Pharisees told Jesus that they didn’t commit adultery or murder, so he told them, no but you lust and have an angry spirit…which are the sins behind the first two. Jesus wasn’t saying everyone sins and it’s okay…he’s saying all sin separates…but some is different.

1 Corinthians 6:15-17…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Each week members of our body rape Christ and then sing Hosana in the Highest…and we take it.

So let’s just say it…Jesus was very clear…with open arms…it’s time to walk away from your sin or walk away from the church.

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Pastor Parking

Posted in Christianity, Church, Religion on June 25, 2008 by floatingaxhead

Nothing like a good (or bad) church sign.

This is how we see Sunday morning service at this church:

Ladies and gentlemen, today I want to talk to you about following Christ’s example of putting others before yourself.

In John 13:14-17 Jesus says, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

If Christ did, so should we.

Oh….and before I forget - Could whoever drives the Blue Honda Accord please stop parking in my reserved parking space.

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Things That Piss Me Off

Posted in Church, Culture, Jesus on June 24, 2008 by floatingaxhead

No, not Don Imus, Cindy McCain, or the fact iTunes always puts up some Latin piece of junk for the free download every week…I now know why the COC bans instruments.

…I’m driving home and see some tanning billboard with the augmented D’s hanging out upside down…no wonder insurance rates suck…if I wanted to look at some whore with her cleavage hanging out, I’d run by the church.

WHAT ABOUT this…we just put a well in the hallway of the church and the women can just wait for Jesus there…

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Survey Says…

Posted in Christianity, Church, Culture, Evangelism, Faith, God, Religion with tags , on June 23, 2008 by floatingaxhead

Courtesy of Friendly Atheist.

Highlights from a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life:

  • 70% of Americans affiliated with a religion or denomination said they agreed that “many religions can lead to eternal life.”

Remember the good old days when we all went to the only church that was going to heaven? Now everyone is invited. Better book your reservation now.

  • 16% of American adults say they are not part of any organized faith, which makes the unaffiliated the country’s fourth-largest “religious group.”

Not being “religious” is the fourth largest religious group? That settles it. We are forming the Floating Axhead Center for Religious Surveys.

  • Most religiously/politically conservative Americans are those who attend worship services most frequently and battle against abortion and gay rights remain touchstone issues.

Really? Nice investigation Sherlock.

  • More than a 25% of adult Americans have left the faith of their childhood to join another religion or no religion.

No word on if they are part of the 16% doing nothing.

  • Respondents were evenly split about whether churches should express their views about politics, with evangelicals and black Protestants favoring such activities far more than people of other faiths.

50/50 - just like the rest of the country.

  • Nearly two-thirds of respondents favored more government help for the poor, even if it meant going deeper into debt.

Sorry, Dave Ramsey…your principles apparently don’t apply here. How about favoring more Christian help for the poor?

  • 61% said “stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.

Now we’re just confused. Who are we voting for again?

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Without Honor

Posted in Faith, Jesus, Marriage, Relationships on June 22, 2008 by floatingaxhead

I had a brutal week…embezzlement issues…etc…etc. I had so little bandwidth remaining for other things.

I recently had a conversation with my wife…I told her that her idea of an apology was “you’ll be fine”…to which she replied, “when did I apologize!” Two words came to mind…WOW! and EXACTLY!

Life is like that…timeless moments we hope we’re not remembered for in terms of our character. I read something like this in Mark this past week…

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

As we live the Gospel this week, remember the first two letters…GO! We often get so bogged down with God’s unrevealed will that we never grasp the revealed…GO! And be okay with the fact that those who knew you when may never get it.

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Who is the Ringmaster?

Posted in Christianity, Faith, God, Leadership, Relationships, Religion on June 19, 2008 by floatingaxhead

Just finished reading a book entitled “Juggling Elephants,” by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig.

The book follows the fictiuous story of a business man who attends the circus with his family, only to realize that his life is a circus as well. The moral to the story is that he needs to do a better job of juggling his own three ring circus, which includes work, family, and “me-time.”

As I finished the book I thought…. “Yeah, I need to get more balance of my life.  Sometimes I am juggling elephants. There is too much to do and not enough time. What I need is more control.”

SCREECHING HALT!

Control? That is a bad word for someone like me. I have a hard time with anyone else having any sort of control over what I do.

I’d like to be able to give it up to God and let him be the Ringmaster. Who better to plan the “acts” that come and go through our lives?

Admittedly, most of the time I can’t. I make excuses such as “I’m just wired this way” or I spend the majority of my day in a leadership position, so I can’t just turn-if-off. But the reality is that I am too weak to give up control.

Man… this is something I really need to work on or I’m looking at a lifetime full of juggling elephants.

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Woman Elected To No. 2 Spot

Posted in Christianity, Church, Religion with tags , on June 17, 2008 by floatingaxhead

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) The Christian Reformed Church made history Saturday (June 14) by electing a woman as vice president of its annual Synod — the first time meeting in which women were allowed to serve as delegates. The Rev. Thea Leunk, pastor of Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids, was elected after finishing second in the vote for president on opening day of the CRC Synod meeting at Calvin College…mh.

This is the sacred cow with many churches (establishments) and some pastors. There is often a literal translation of 1 Timothy 2 and the interpretation that men are not to be under the authority of a woman spiritually.

Some feel this really means husbands and wives…meaning a man’s spiritual headship is not to be challenged by his wife publicly, or for a woman to challenge another man’s spiritual authority publicly.

Perhaps it was Godly wisdom in the author knowing the culture and not wanting to put women in harm’s way from men who had far too much authority with regard to the lives of others…who could not separate institutionalized religion from the life of Christ…Christ subjected himself to such men’s judgment.

…or maybe he just knew men were better at it than women…who knows.

Is this an issue for your faith…could you submit to the authority of the church (the body) if a woman was a part of that authority.

Was this God’s plan for the church-eternal or the church-cultural…or for your church?

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