Friday, August 22, 2008
Medicine vs. Miracles
A
new survey has found that Americans have more faith in God than doctors when it comes to life-threatening health scares. About 57 percent of those surveyed said they thought God could miraculously intervene in a dire health situation even when physicians can’t.
Megachurch TV
Slate has
this story about megachurches that are using video conferencing to change the way people go to church. The article looks at how many large congregations actually watch their sermons on big-screen TVs and projectors from other churches thousands of miles away.
Though the “franchising” element that brings popular pastors and trendy churches to new areas has rubbed some people the wrong, the movement is catching on, and some think, is also drawing new visitors into the Church.
Bolt the Crime Fighter
As fun as it is cheering on your home country’s athletes in the Olympics, there’s something inspiring about seeing smaller nations rally around their own athletes and watch their pride in having them take home medals. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (could a sprinter have a cooler name than “Bolt”?!) is one of those great stories. With seemingly effortless performances, the sprinter has shattered track and field records, and his larger than life personality has made him as fun to watch off the field as he is on.
Time magazine recently
posted this story about how athletes like Bolt are offering a hopeful alternative to the violent lifestyle that many Jamaican youth have fallen in to. The country has an enormous murder rate and gun violence is an increasingly severe problem.
Officials in the country are hoping to offer new programs to troubled youth that provide them with a way of staying off the street and engaging in sports programs.
I posted last week about how community officials in Southern California are combating gang violence by offering rugby programs. Again, I think the Church should take note and look to organized sports as a productive outreach to kids in neighbors that offer little alternative.
Olympic Missionaries
And speaking of the Olympics, all those bans and restrictions placed on religious groups by the Chinese government haven't stopped some missions groups.
Here’s a story about how American-based missionaries have seen people be open to the Gospel despite opposition from the government.
Signs of the Times
You know those black-and-white billboards that contain quotes from God? They’re from an evangelical group called
God Speaks and are an effort to get people interested in the Gospel.
Well now an atheist group has
launched their own billboard campaign.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Today I’m introducing a new segment to the Morning Five: The Friday Playlist. Every Friday, I’ll post a new rundown of songs for you to rock-out all weekend long with links to listen the songs and to purchase the album if you really dig it. (And remember, if you really want to support the artists, I encourage you to buy the album.)
Here’s what I’m listening to now …
Friday Playlist:
Dustin Kensrue – "I Knew You Before"
The Thrice frontman channels Johnny Cash on his first solo album
Please Come Home. In the alt-country ballad "I Believe", Kensrue may abandon his punk rock roots, but the attitude remains. “I Believe” is a foot tapping Gospel revelation.
The link is to a YouTube fan video. The links will open new windows, so if you’re not into watching the video, you can always
minimize it and just listen to the song.
Listen Now
Buy Dustin Kensrue’s Please Come Home
Matt Redman – "You Never Let Go"
The latest single from the guy who has penned many of the songs that are now staples of evangelical church services is a super catchy, smart little pop song. And, as with the measure of many contemporary worship songs, it’s a fun tune to play and rearrange with your own worship team.
Listen Now
Buy Matt Redman’s Beautiful News
Sufjan Stevens – "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"
The New York-based indie folk star has become a favorite among Christian and mainstream audiences alike with his eclectic banjo-plucking style. Don’t expect traditional pop sounds with Sufjan though: the singer is known for artsy bedroom recordings and unique arrangements. This hymn is actually from one of his Christmas mixtapes which were originally recorded to give out gifts to friends and family. Thankfully, he decided to give us all the gift. Here’s a link to another really cool fan video for the song:
Listen Now
Buy Sufjan Stevens’ Songs for Christmas
Needtobreathe – "Washed by the Water"
The boys from South Carolina came into their own on their sophomore album
The Heat. On their single “Washed by the Water” Needtobreathe cast aside pop convention for a heavy dose of Southern soul.
Listen Now
Buy Needtobreathe’s The Heat
The Glorious Unseen – “Close to Your Heart”
Not your typical “worship band”, The Glorious Unseen combine layered, stripped down melodies with indie rock sensibilities. “Close to Your Heart” is a slow burning jam that isn’t afraid to take to time to build.
Listen Now
Buy The Glorious Unseen’s Tonight the Star’s Speak
Future of Forestry – "Open Wide"
The San Diego band, which was formed from the ashes of California-based Flood Church house band Something Like Silas, use walls of guitars, soaring vocals and a kinetic sound on the driving single “Open Wide”.
Listen Now
Buy The Future of Forestry’s Twilight
Jon Foreman - "Behind Your Eyes"
As part the Switchfoot frontman’s four-part solo album release (each one based on a different season), “Winter” is a fun, guitar-picking love song. Roll the windows down and enjoy this breezy little song from truly talented songwriter. The link is to a YouTube fan video:
Listen Now
Buy Jon Foreman’s Winter E.P.
Friday, August 08, 2008
With the Olympics kicking off this weekend in China, much of the focus is on the restrictions being placed on the athletes and what they are not allowed to say while staying at the Olympic Village. And in a country where religious speech is as closely guarded as political talk, that means athletes will be legally limited as to what they can say while in the country.
According to
this article in The Washington Post, some Christian athletes still plan on kneeling for prayer, raising their hands and expressing their faith in other ways during competition, but they may also be walking a fine line when it comes what China will allow. One runner for New Zealand, who became a Christian after moving to the United States, was told to sign a pledge that demanded him “to refrain from any political, religious or other forms of discussion at events or in the Olympic Village or risk harm from the New Zealand Olympic Committee."
I know the Olympics are a great expression of world unity, and it’s always inspiring to see nations lay aside their differences and compete in athletic events—but what duty do Christians have to express their faith?
I could never speak for an athlete, and I have nothing but respect and admiration for those representing their countries in Beijing, but for the individual believer, it does raise some interesting personal questions about faith, speech, expression and civil unity.
What do you think? Should athletes keep their faith to themselves on the corporate stage in Beijing, or should they express it openly even if it means risking an international conflict? Comment below ...
Monday, July 28, 2008
A Note on “The Note”
Barack Obama’s visit to the Middle East made some big headlines, but was almost overshadowed by
a “prank” from a student who took the Democratic presidential candidate’s prayer note out of the Western Wall in Israel. The prayer, in which Obama asked for guidance and forgiveness, was publish across the Internet. Of course, its publication drew criticism for violating the unspoken code of sacred privacy that goes along with placing prayers in the Western Wall. The student has issued an apology and the prayer note has been returned to the Western Wall.
A Rootin’ Shootin’ Good Time!
A Church in Oklahoma has canceled a giveaway contest, where one lucky conference attendee would win a
free semi-automatic assault rifle! The contest was aimed (no pun intended) at attracting teens to a youth conference. Though the gun giveaway has been canceled for this year’s event due to a staff member not being able to attend, the giveaway will take place at next year’s gala.
In fairness, the church did feature a video of a shooting competition, and we’re assuming the contest was completely legal and relatively safe (considering they are giving away a gun to a teenager). But even if it is being used for a sporting cause, giving a semi-automatic assault rifle to a teenager, doesn’t strike me as the best PR move.
Leeland Laughs
I’m a huge fan of the band Leeland. Their latest album
Opposite Way is one of my favorite records of 2007, and they are truly progressive in their hybrid pop/worship sound. Great songwriting and a great sound.
Another reason to love the band, is they don’t take themselves too serious.
At their website,
Leelandonline.com, the guys have released a series of “About Leeland” videos, where each member explains a little bit about themselves. And I can honestly say, they are downright hilarious.
This is why Leeland is a great band—they’re not afraid to take some risks and have a little fun, and that attitude translates on their album.
From Rudy to Rocky
Looking for some inspirational viewing this summer? Beliefnet has posted their list of the "
Top 20 Inspirational Sports Movies."
The Karate Kid, Cinderella Man, Rudy and
Hoosiers all made the list—curiously absent from the rundown: the 1996 Shaquille O’Neal classic
Kazaam.
Truly Inspiring
Speaking of inspirational sports stories, ABC’s
Nightline has posted
this story about how communities in Los Angeles are setting up rugby leagues that offer young people an alternative gang life. Proponents of the program say it is a way to disarm racial tensions and get young men plugged into a productive outlet.
Here are some quotes from some of the guys playing in the rugby league: "Most of us would be dragged into gangs or influenced. Instead of being out there on the streets like the gangs are doing, we're here playing rugby." "It's the best feeling ever. I let a lot of my anger out — a lot." "It don't matter what race you are. We're just here to play."
I think this is a message that churches need to hear. Whether they are churches in areas that are facing issues with teen violence and gang activity, or are just looking for a way to plug people in to a cool outreach, organized sports can be life-changing.
When I lived in Florida, I played in a church-sponsored football league that got guys from all over the city—from completely different backgrounds—to meet and hang out every Sunday to play football.
Calvary Assembly even had a staff member whose primary job it was to organize and promote their sports league.
Ministry programs, teaching series and traditional outreaches are great, but investing in communities with things like sports programs is a truly worthwhile idea.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Portfolio magazine has posted this feature about mega-church pastor Joel Osteen. The article looks at the business side of his massive Lakewood Church in Houston, his own personal income and his feel-good message. The story does talk about some of the criticisms he’s received for his positive-thinking style of theology, but it’s a relatively balanced look at what makes him so appealing to Middle American families. Oh yeah, the article’s called “
God Wants Me to Be Rich”
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Barrack Obama and
The Hills trying to get in good with Christian rock? James Dobson and Obama debating theology?! Mega-churches meeting in basketball stadiums
and in outdoor fields?!! Here's today's special hot-button edition of The Morning Five ...
1) Run for The Hills!
Reality TV star Heidi Montag say she wants to
record a Christian album. The tabloid-frequent star of MTV's
The Hills told
USA Today, "I have been the most religious person since I was 2 years old.” She said she is a “kind of non-denominational Baptist" and has "always felt this crazy connection to God.” Though she said she once dreamed of being a missionary in Africa, Montag said that now she believes Christian music is her career path.
2) Speaking of Unlikely Christian Rockers ...
As the presidential race continues to heat up, so does the debate over what candidate Christians should support. And presumptive Democratic nominee Barrack Obama is courting a group that has long been associated with candidates on the other side of the spectrum. Here's
a story from The New York Times about evangelicals who are not only voting for the Illinois Senator, they're raising money for him. The article looks at how Obama supporters are planning house parties, Christian rock concerts and campus events in an effort to stir support among young, moderate evangelicals.
3.) Obama vs. Dobson
But even as Obama hosts a series of engagements with evangelical groups, not all high-profile leaders are showing enthusiasm for the senator's spiritual talk. Last week James Dobson
made headlines for speaking out against what he said was Obama's “fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution” and confused theology. Now, a debate over theological interruption of scripture has been thrust into the mainstream spotlight and pundits and cable-news talking heads are themselves debating the intricacies of scripture.
On one hand, it's annoying to see people who profess to be Christians squabble over seemingly minor syntax, but at the same time, at least people are talking about faith. Unlike decades gone by where any talk of religion or faith was considered taboo, faith--and more specifically Christianity--has become one of the major issues that will decide our next President.
4) Remember the Alamo Dome
A massive crowd filled the AT&T Arena in San Antonio (the stadium is also the home of the NBA's Spurs)
to hear Joel Osteen deliver his signature feel-good message. The event is one of 22 worship services Osteen is holding this year away from his home church, Lakewood, in Houston. Tickets for the event were sold for $15 at the box office.
5) Tearing Down the Mega-Church Walls
Here's another story about a mega-church whose leadership has taken a different approach to holding worship services. Uncomfortable about the prospect of spending tens-of-millions on a new building to facilitate their growing numbers, Cornerstone Community Church in California decided to do something different ...
have church outside.
Their new plan involves creating an outdoor sanctuary and several other buildings that will serve as homes for learning centers, the Children's Hunger fund and recreational areas. The entire facility also emphasizes their passion for using resources wisely by creating eco-minded areas like "grass-crete" pavement, using recycled water for irrigation and preserving open spaces (almost 60 undeveloped acres).
Monday, June 23, 2008
I just got back from a screening of the new Disney/Pixar movie
WALL*E in L.A., so posts were a little sparse last week. I'll post a review of the film on Friday along with some commentary from interviews we got to conduct with of the film's stars, so keep an eye out for those later in the week. More good news is that I got to sit behind Bob Saget on the plane ride back, and I can say that after a short chat exiting the airplane, that Danny Tanner is really nice in real life too.
1) Facebook Tops MySpace
I wrote a story last week about the rise of Web 2.0 technology and the implications it has on faith (you can go here to read “
The Tipping Point of Faith 2.0”), and now
new numbers show that in May, Facebook has took a significant lead over MySpace in the number of unique visitors going to the site. This is significant not only because of the sheer volume of people going to the social networking destinations (almost 240 million in May alone), but because Facebook is lending credibility to social networking. Online sites like Facebook are no longer just places for teens and music fans to hang out and exchange information; Facebook has created a place where college students, working professionals and friends of all ages can communicate and network.
2.) Tougher than Hell!
Here’s a story about Guts Church in Tulsa, OK, and their recent “Tougher than Hell” biker rally. I occasionally went to events at Guts when I lived in Tulsa a few years ago, and they’ve always come up with creative ways to reach the community. You can
go here to see a few YouTube clips from the event. Along with having a good time and reaching out to bikers from the Tulsa area, the event raised more than $300,000 for the church’s missions program that provides children with clean water and food.
3. Thinking Big
Here’s a cool
video interview from Big Think with Blake Mycoskie. Blake is the founder of
TOMS Shoes, a company that makes unique looking-shoes with a social element to their business model. For every pair of shoes they sell, they give a pair to child in need in poor areas of countries in Africa. Though the company is for-profit, it’s sales model is breaking ground in conscious consumerism.
4. Outreach Behind Bars
The Denver Post has written a really
inspiring story about a local prison ministry that is changing lives through faith. The article even features interviews with intimates who have had their lives changed through the outreach. In some cases, the prison officials have even reported mini-revivals within the prison stemming from inmates who have had their lives changed by God.
5. "A Rollin' Gospel Revival"
Tony Jones, Mark Scandrette and Doug Pagitt—leaders in the somewhat controversial emerging church movement (you can
go here to read my article, “The Emerging Church Explained”) are embarking on a summer tour to market their new books and generate interest in their organization, Emergent Village. The three will be posing as turn-of-the-century revival preachers in what their describing as “
The Church Basement Roadshow”. Though the group’s self-described “irreverent” antics are causing a lot of buzz, Tony Jones says that so far, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Hope everyone had a good weekend and a great Father's Day. Here's your Monday edition of the Morning Five ...
1. Acts of God
The L.A. Times has posted
this story about the Christian theater movement that is on the rise with faith-based writers and performers gaining more prominence in the world of drama. The story talks about a new, creative generation that is producing plays that are more than just the Easter productions and Passions plays of the past.
2. Darwin Debates
A United Church of Christ pastor is making news for a new book in which he says that God used evolution as a means of creation. According to this story in
The New York Times (provocatively titled “
Darwinist for Jesus”), the book
Thank God for Evolution has garnered criticism from traditional creationists like Creation Museum founder Ken Ham who said the writings are “no different from what an evolutionary atheist would preach”. But author Michael Dowd says he offers a “God-glorifying, Christ-edifying, Scripture-honoring way of thinking about evolution.”
3. Political Showdown
Speaking of hot-button debates,
Beliefnet’s latest Blogalogue is a debate between social activist Jim Wallis and David Klinghoffer, author of the new book
How Would God Vote? Why the Bible Commands You to Be a Conservative (now that’s a zinger a of title!). The two have squared off in a pretty heated dialogue over what party of affiliation most closely aligns with scripture.
4. Give It Away
How does our slipping economy effect American’s charitable giving? Accord to
this story, though Americans still give lots of money away to people in need, disaster victims and select causes (more than $295 billion in 2006), that number may be sliding until the economy is corrected.
5. What's in Name?
And finally, on a lighter note, an Illinois-based artists, who is also a local bus driver, has legally
changed his name to “In God We Trust.” The 57-year-old said that he wanted to changed his first name to “In God” and his last name to “We Trust” to show people how God helped him through tough times in his life. This, according to his friend “One Nation.”
Monday, June 09, 2008
A Christian gym manager in Florida is getting headlines after announcing plans to open his own “Lord’s Gym”, which he says will offer Christians a safe place to work out. Along with a modest dress code and Biblical imagery on the walls, his facility will host “Yogod” classes (an alternative to yoga) and a “Chariots of Fire” spinning class. If only there was already an alternative place where Christians could work out in a wholesome, community-focused atmosphere … some sort of young men’s Christian association or something …
Jokes aside, I can see the appeal of having a gym that has a Christian focus and encourages wholesome behavior and modest clothing, but my concern with trends like this is that Christians further isolate themselves from a culture that needs to hear what they have to say.
The story from The New York Times ended with this line:
Merri Bush, 42, who is a member with her daughter, Christyna Askey, 21, said she probably would not have joined a regular gym. The two of them walk on the treadmill each morning while they read and discuss the Bible.
Ms. Askey said, "It's cool to be able to do that and not have people say, 'What are you doing?' "
My question is, i
s that a good thing or a bad thing?! Shouldn’t we want non-Christians to ask us what we’re doing when we’re reading the Bible or talking about our faith? Isn’t that a really
good opportunity to open a discussion about what we believe in a neutral environment, where non-Christians might even feel more comfortable dialoguing about Christianity?
I don’t want to condemn these Christians, because I honestly don’t think their intentions are wrong. And maybe people who struggle with different things need an alternative environment to work out at. But my concern is for the idea of making faith
too comfortable. The New Testament pretty much assures us that we will face trials and objections when we show our faith in public—but that’s not always a bad thing.
If anything, discomfort should be more appealing than comfort—just look at the fate of all 11 disciples (aside from Judas). Ten of them were martyred in violent deaths, and the other died while in exile. Where is this message in modern-day Christianity? When compared to being executed for our beliefs, facing uncomfortable questions on the treadmill seems pretty minor.
The problem is, too often, terms like “safe” and “family friendly” have become synonymous with “Christian”, especially when applied to culture and entertainment. This thinking has infiltrated our daily lives, teaching us to avoid anything that challenges what we believe.
When we isolate ourselves to the point where every uncomfortable encounter with non-Christians is avoided, we’re missing a big part of being a Christian is all about.
Jesus rarely isolated his disciples, but encouraged them to go into
all the world. That’s not just the far corners of developing countries and unreached tribes—that’s everyday places like where we work, go to school and, for some people, where we
work out.
The original Lord’s Gym was an outreach center for at-need teenagers. It offered them a place to go to get off the street and use their time constructively, while reaffirming positive values and faith. These new Lord’s Gyms are for-profit franchises. And, I may be a little over-sensitive, but I even find that name applied to a gym marketed toward Christians a little offensive. It may be unintentional, but calling it the “Lord’s Gym” implies that other gyms are not the Lord’s. It subtly implies that God honors that place over other local gyms.
Is that the message we really want to send to our neighborhoods and communities?
A few weeks ago I wrote about the “
Evangelical Identity Crisis” that was facing some major Christian groups in the wake of “
The Evangelical Manifesto”. A group of concerned leaders drafted a document that attempted to de-politicize the term “evangelical” and make it less of a polarizing idea for non-believers. There’s an interesting discussion of the whole document, the debate over what role faith plays in politics and what it all means for evangelical Christians at this
Beliefnet forum. You can also check out our discussion of the debate and
let us know what you think here.