Well, perhaps I’ll be able to devote more time to this blog now that Syracuse just lost. Honestly, I’ve filled out some pretty bad brackets in my time, but never have I had my “Championship” team lose in the first round. Syracuse is dead to me. We will never speak of them again.
So, Thursday, I was at a local bar watching the games, and I started talking to a young guy from the area, who was going to Graduate school. He was a nice guy, and he mentioned that he went to “Falls Church” which is a pretty big church in the area. Anyway, we got to talking about Church and Religion. It was interesting and he has some serious reservations about todays modern church as well. But he mentioned that he just read a great book that changed how he looked at Christianity. He said the book was “Blue Like Jazz.”
So, now I’ve definately gotta read this book. Its becoming the “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” for the 21st century. Though, I seriously hope its a little more enlightening then the “dating” book, which should have been subtitled, “I am ugly and incapable of attracting the opposite sex.”
Anyway, the guy invited me to a Bible Study at Falls Church sometime, so I may end up going back to church soon. And you know what that means… …another fascinating Breakdown: City Bible vs. Falls Church.
I’m getting excited already.
I picked Vermont to upset Syracuse.
Yeah, there went my bracket, too. We applaud your great wisdom, Oh RP.
Well, I found a couple of articles that give new meaning to the name City BUSINESS Church. One is reeeeeallly long, just to warn ya. I guess I should not have been so shocked to discover that the new vision for the church is really just a popular church trend enhanced with demographic and business growth experts. Sighhh. Christianity on steroids.
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/2003/1-purpose.htm
http://www.christianitytoday.com/bcl/areas/vision-strategy/articles/le-2003-002-21.81.html
Read “Blue like Jazz” — about half of it. It gets repetitive. I hope toward the end he gave some resolution for the observations.
I also picked Gonzaga to go to the Elite Eight.
Here’s a quote from one of the articles:
“Brand new AND trusted brand
It was a great day when Krispy Kreme doughnuts opened a store in our area. I’d heard how good they were, but I never tasted one until one of their stores opened nearby. The occasion was doubly exciting because it was brand new store opening, and it was offering a brand I knew about and wanted to try.
We’ve found a similar dynamic with the multi-site church. It has the upside of what used to be denominational loyalty, which was prominent in yesteryear but now is found in congregational loyalty. The particular congregation is the trusted brand, and the opening of a new site makes it brand new.â€
Sound familiar? Yes, PF used the same example when pitching the Forward Together campaign.
This is why we say that CBC is not the only problem church. They don’t do anything original, but are simply following someone else’s book for success. It seems that many of today’s churches gauge success by their numbers.
Shame on you mega-church.
And shame on you Syracuse… you suck!
oh great another church vs church breakdown, i can’t wait. i am sure this blog is really growing you closer with the Lord, it is just so healthy for our walk with the Lord. ten years from now you will have serious reservations about tomorrows postmodern church. anonymous #93 – see recent coments to Love the sinner hate the sin post
Actually, I think that it will be our kids that have a problem with the postmodern church…
…unless of course we keep preaching about the gosple, but we’ll let YOU be the judge of that.
see what kind of response judgemental, sarcastic comments or post evokes. this is why there is no cbcer’s in discussion on this site anymore. more later gotta jet.
CBCer’s don’t really have a religious leg to stand on; that is, perhaps, why you don’t see them posting, but I assure you they’re reading. Anonymous #93, you have chosen to view Jesus as the blonde haired, blue eyed gentle and meek shepherd in the painting over your bed. You forget that Jesus also had a quick wit and was a master at puting Pharisees in their place when necessary. I don’t think He cared to much about the feelings He was hurting as He violently overturned the barista cart and Veggie Tales DVD rack in His Father’s House!
anonymous 3am, rp and to whom it may concern, God has given His followers to be ministers of reconcilation. there is not much if any of that thought coming from these post and comments, i.e. my 12:58 comment. harsh answers stir up wrath, gentle ones turn it away. cbcer’s are reading not commenting because you will tear them down and are treated as foes, objects of ridicule, rather than brothers or sisters in Christ, and in doing so you alienate the very ones you should be sharing thoughts with. as for my view of Jesus as being meek and gentle, thank you. Christ only verball description of Himself was close Matt. 11:28-30. how are coffe stands and bookstores compatible with money changers and those who would sell animals for sacrifical offerings? seems like apples and oranges. rp yes preach the gospel and to ourselves first every day and then our dealings with others will be filled with grace. sola gloria anonymous #93
#93, if you’ll note you are not being torn down, in fact your comments are being re-posted because of their thoughtfullness and insight into your perspective. And yes, I have a raging Party Poker habit that sometimes keeps me up to some pretty late hours. I say this is an excellent forum, in fact it’s the only forum we have. CBC would never sit down over a cup of jo and actually listen, ask RP, it didn’t go so well. CBC not only doesn’t see flaws in it’s self but they also don’t see the bigger picture, that the American church is selling a product for profit and that product isn’t even salvation! Is CBC as bad as something you’d see on TBN yet? No, but there are dangerous elements creeping in that it’s members can’t objectively recognize and it’s leadership can’t afford to point out. This has been said before, but when Martin Luther instigated the Protestant Reformation, he used writing as an avenue to unveil truth.
“…the American church is selling a product for profit and that product isn’t even salvation!…”
Wow, that’s hard hitting. In Martin Luther’s day the church would sell indulgences to lessen their friends’ and families’ time in “purgatory” or to attain salvation or some other nonsensical notion.
But nowadays we’ll just take a cool 10% off the top so that you can have hapiness and success now. Talk about a selfish American perspective; forget eternity, let’s promise them something now and we’ll have ‘em hooked.
Well it probably didn’t need explaining but those are my thoughts.