My experiment with opening up the comments on this post seems to have gone well. People responded with grace and dignity…not much flaming or name calling going on. I think that the “conversation” was eye-opening and civil…I enjoyed the experience and had to do very little moderating. I’ll have to open up comments some more in the future.
By the way…part of the experiment was to take a “hot button” topic…leave my take on it slightly vague…and watch the resulting comments. Yeah, I was mad as hell at her comments…but I did not feel that harsher punishment was needed. I also was taking a side-shot at the civil rights opportunists and Muslim leaders for their over-reactions to the afore-mentioned incidents.
I was probably more bothered by the fact that ESPN and the on-air personality went to great lengths to apologize to Notre Dame…but never really addressed Christians in the “official” statement. Who can blame them though? The church has spent more time trying to make people feel better about their self-esteem with seeker-sensitive, consumer-driven churches…and liberal, “everyone is going to Heaven no matter what they believe” Emergent philosophy…to the point that no one is afraid of the wrath of God anymore. We’ve spent way too much time arguing the all-important (I can’t say that with a straight face) five points of Calvinism or bashing each other over the head concerning Purpose-Driven drivel that God and Jesus have become a punchline in a drunken keynote speech to the world at large.
Just something to chew on. Comments still open…
10 Comments
Chris,
I appreciate your blog and your honesty. I’ve been reading your blog for some time. I appreciate the stand you take for truth even if it means calling a spade a spade (methodology of seeker sensitives, theology of emergents)
The church has gotten so far from what we see in the book of Acts. Church Growth Movement??? Sure, Jesus added 3000 to the church in qne day… but not before Peter BOLDLY and CLEARLY called for repentance of sin. Also, Christians met together to pray, be equipped, fellowship and worship together… not bring the next door neighbor to check out how good the band is and how un-pastor like the pastor is !!! Yeah, we should all be about evangelism, but that’s not what happens when we meet together. If the church would begin to think about DISCIPLING those whom the Holy Spirit has dealt with then we would begin to see the Church look far FAR different from the World.
From hearing your heart I think you need to check out my old college church Calvary Chapel Sarasota, not too far from you and seek the council of Pastor Carl Dixon. There are no frills no chills church that feeds people straight on expository teaching. They present the Word after about an hour of corperat worship and allow the Holy Spirit to do the SEEKING. They are so not COOL, so not RELEVANT**, so not INNOVATIVE, so not EMERGING, that it is an absolute breath of fresh air!
**Why would anyone hearing the Spirit’s call want anything that is “relevant” to this rotten World?
Rock On Pastor Elrod !!!
Glad to see the comments are open. You knew I would come and say something…
I applaud these thoughts. I think your spot on. And my only concern was what you changed… Post-modern and Emergent, as you obviously have noticed, are not synonymous with one another.
Glad to hear about all that is happening in your heart and mind.
Erick Bauman
http://www.missionalheart,typepad.com
http://www.mychurchpromos.com
863.430.1200
Nice to see the comments open.. I just have to say I rolled with laughter at one of your earlier posts about the storm that woke you up, along with your wife and your cats…
Were their eyes as big a saucers?
Anyway, your blog is one that I try to visit daily. I really enjoy it. Thanks
Sincerely
Vee
Chris,
All I can say to this post, especially the last part, is a whole hearted AMEN!
I like your no nosense way of speaking the truth.
I agree that we have spent way too much time arguing about Calvanism, Drivenism and all of the other ism’s, and not enough time focusing on the truth of Jesus and His gospel. We need to be about the work that He has set for us to do.
Peace,
Jimmy
Awesome! I really enjoy reading your blog and your “no-nonsense” approach to well, just about everything so having comments open is great. I read your previous post and gleaned a lot from the comments, so yes, if people can voice opinions respectively then I think there is a lot to be learned - for all of us.
But that said (concerning your last post) I think it is hard to take the unfairness the world dishes out against the Church but then at the same time - should I be surprised? No. It’s par for the course. To be a Christian is to be persecuted so… Love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you… (you know the verse.) And as far as this post? I liked Jimmy’s comment above - “back to the basics” - preach Christ and Christ crucified! For it is by the hearing of the Word that men are saved!
God’s blessings and I look forward to more of your writings and hopefully comments to follow! ~Jen
Don’t forget debating whether a Smiling Texan is the Anti-Christ, arguing when some will be left behind, and whether jibba-jabba is a form a spiritual gift. Those three are my personal favorites.
Thanks for keeping focused. . .
I figured that your post was a broad-sighted experiment to examine our reactions. Good topic!
However, even in your new post, I still sense a reactive and defensive attitude.
Consider this case study: I work as a family counselor, and included in my caseload is 16 year old who has gotten in touble for fighting…over comments made about his mother. You know, “Yo momma” type of stuff. In a family session, his mom reminded him that fighting over that is pointless, because such remarks from a teenager matter little and she can take care of herself just fine. She tried to teach him that raising a fuss over ignorant comments is hardly worth it. Not to say that confontation of some kind wouldn’t be helpful, such as saying “I really didn’t like what you said about someone I love very much. Don’t say it anymore”.
We don’t have to pretend that offensive statements are okay, but we don’t need to act like a hot-head either. To be honest, I feel like your posts are hot-headed. The Bible teaches about being slow to anger, and I don’t think that was demonstrated to this woman by Christians at large.
I certainly hope you don’t lump me in with ‘liberal theology’ or ‘pansy feel-good Christians’ because I want to take an opposite approach. I agree with you 85% of the time. I just think that the best way to ‘defend Jesus’ honor’ is take a proactive approach by evaluating how we live according to Jesus’ standards-by being hands and feet instead of one big mouth.
I love reading your blog, man. You cause me to think!
I heard a speaker say recently that we don’t win anyone by pointing out their faults, we win them by being an example. In this, I would ask: How many members of your church (or my church, or anyone’s church) do we find using the Lord’s name in vain? I have personally experienced several people who claim themselves Christians using the Lord’s name as a curse word (blasphemy, for those of you keeping score) during the last couple of weeks. If even we as Christians use His name as a curse word, why won’t the world?
Maybe this is just my personal conviction talking, but I feel that I, at least, need to be a better example, and in doing so, pray that Jesus uses me to win souls.
In the many years (it will be 1, tomorrow) that I’ve had comments open on simplemindedpreacher, I can only think of a couple times where we’ve had to deal with knuckleheads trying to muck things up. Right now, we have knuckleheads.. but not usually, and if I have accidentally drawn them here, I apologize profusely.
Thanks for your blog Chris.
Chris,
The nice thing about comments is that it allows others to connect. I’m not into the debating thing. I do love sharing and growing. So readers of this blog. Maybe we should make it a practice to share and help each other grow.
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