I don't know about you but I am tired of those Christians who go around and scream the sky is falling over movies and books. For example, there are those who cry out against Harry Potter. The movies and books will corrupt the minds of our young people. Now mind you, I am not defending witchcraft in any form, but it is getting rediculous the lengths some Christians will go to be against something. One pastor had a Harry Potter book burning. COME ON man. What's up with that? Remember Hitler did the same thing. Let's try another way of reaching people. Unless that is not your intent.
Remember when the Passion of the Christ came out. It was touted to be the greatest Evangelical witness in the 21st century. Hey we got on board with it. I did the preaching series, we hung the banners, and gave out hundreds of invites. And what happened, nothing. It turned out to be the greatest flop. I'm tired of getting burned on stuff like this.
Then it was the Da Vinci Code. I did a four week series on true Biblical background and guess what my church thought. So what. Not only that, those same Christians who go after Harry Potter said that millions will be deceived by the Da Vinci code. Uh, didn't happen. The church is the one who took it way too seriously. It WAS just a novel after all. The rest of the world shook their heads while incredulously looking at us.
So why am I posting about this thing now? Well it seems that the new enemy of the church is the Emerging Church. I do have to say that I don't agree with everything that comes out of it but I also believe this is a passing fad just like everything else has been. Christians spend so much time and energy fighting other Christians that the world is put on the back burner until "our" crusaders have vanquished the enemies from within. I think that this is a time of transition for the church.
The old guard wants to hang onto the forms of the past that worked so well in the past and the new generation feels it's time to try something new to reach this generation and if they don't agree with the old guard they get the feeling they have become the red-headed step child of the family. Feelings of trust and respect are discarded for the sake of the mode of preaching the Gospel. There in lies the problem. Without trust and respect there can be no true relationship and there "never the two shall meet". I may be over simplifying it a bit but I do not consider myself "Emergent", yet I appreciate what it has to offer. I am tired of playing church to keep church people happy. I really want to see a move of God that embraces all people, not just the "insiders". It's time to allow the outsiders in, seeing as though that is what Jesus did during his ministry. i.e. prostitutes, drunks, thieves, sinners.
Ok, you get it I see. That is my rant for the day. Glad I got that off my chest. Thanks for listening. I will stop writing now.
Remember when the Passion of the Christ came out. It was touted to be the greatest Evangelical witness in the 21st century. Hey we got on board with it. I did the preaching series, we hung the banners, and gave out hundreds of invites. And what happened, nothing. It turned out to be the greatest flop. I'm tired of getting burned on stuff like this.
Then it was the Da Vinci Code. I did a four week series on true Biblical background and guess what my church thought. So what. Not only that, those same Christians who go after Harry Potter said that millions will be deceived by the Da Vinci code. Uh, didn't happen. The church is the one who took it way too seriously. It WAS just a novel after all. The rest of the world shook their heads while incredulously looking at us.
So why am I posting about this thing now? Well it seems that the new enemy of the church is the Emerging Church. I do have to say that I don't agree with everything that comes out of it but I also believe this is a passing fad just like everything else has been. Christians spend so much time and energy fighting other Christians that the world is put on the back burner until "our" crusaders have vanquished the enemies from within. I think that this is a time of transition for the church.
The old guard wants to hang onto the forms of the past that worked so well in the past and the new generation feels it's time to try something new to reach this generation and if they don't agree with the old guard they get the feeling they have become the red-headed step child of the family. Feelings of trust and respect are discarded for the sake of the mode of preaching the Gospel. There in lies the problem. Without trust and respect there can be no true relationship and there "never the two shall meet". I may be over simplifying it a bit but I do not consider myself "Emergent", yet I appreciate what it has to offer. I am tired of playing church to keep church people happy. I really want to see a move of God that embraces all people, not just the "insiders". It's time to allow the outsiders in, seeing as though that is what Jesus did during his ministry. i.e. prostitutes, drunks, thieves, sinners.
Ok, you get it I see. That is my rant for the day. Glad I got that off my chest. Thanks for listening. I will stop writing now.
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