I had planned to use this time to write “Running Diary of a Gen Church Sermon Part II.” But I got halfway through Doug’s sermon, and I was so bored I could not bare to continue listening.

Doug, please, you’re killing me here. I know you are speaking to high school students, but, trust me, they are more intelligent than you think. And that girl in the front row can’t keep up the courtesy laugh, she’s gonna crack.

I believe I have a prescription for what ails you. Allow me to prescribe two activities.

First, watch Sinbad’s Video Afros and Bellbottoms. It is the funniest hour of stand up ever.

Second, read the Sports Guy Column on www.espn.com. It will change your life.

So instead of discussing a CBC sermon, I am going to use this space to discuss an article I read in the Washington Post yesterday. The article examines Joel Osteen’s rapidly growing church in Houston.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47023-2005Jan29.html.

I challenge you to read the entire piece.

However, for me, one quote in particular stood out. Joel is discussing his prosperity and says:

“I feel like God wants us to prosper,” “My dad grew up in the Depression. . . . It is not God’s will for anybody to live where you can’t support your family. . . . [Houston Astros pitcher] Roger Clemens just signed for $18 million — man, don’t tell me I can’t have a nice house and send my kids to college.”

I like Joel Osteen, but there are so many things wrong with this quote.

I don’t understand where this “God wants me to be rich” mentality is coming from? God does not necessarily want you to be prosperous, Joel. God wants you to be faithful. God wants you to be compassionate. God wants you to demonstrate his love to others. That’s what God wants.

Additionally, Joel, let me fill you in on a little something. In the Book of Job, God told Job he could not have a nice house and send his kids to college. And God loved Job. God called Job his most faithful servant.

I am not saying that God is not concerned with your lifestyle, Joel. He is. It is just not his number one priority. And maybe it should not be your number one priority, either.

Secondly…. ROGER CLEMENS! You’re comparing yourself to a professional athlete, Joel. What are you, two years old?

Just because a professional athlete gets paid a lot of money, does not mean you should be paid a lot of money. Roger Clemens throws a baseball better than anyone else in the world. You, Joel Osteen, preach God’s Word. There are not a lot of similarities there. You really should be less concerned with how much professional athletes are being paid and more concerned with how well your congregation is growing in Christ.

Anyway, that’s my rant for the week. And I apologize to City Bible, apparently they’re right. Apparently 390,000 out of 395,000 churches in America do preach the same way they do… …its disturbing.

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