My post from yesterday quoting from Doug Pagitt’s book “Church Re-Imagined” got an immediate response from him. Short; but making me aware he didn’t actually make the quote but a member of his community did; a massage therapist . However he indicated that he was in favor of her quote but did not state if he receives massages from her while he practices yoga. So Doug, I apologize for attributing the quote to you when in actuality I was quoting a quote from your book.

This did prompt me to follow my nose to a recent You Tube dialogue between Doug and Tony Jones. It was interesting to watch the camera angles (a little bouncy at times) panning the ‘church’ as ‘parishioners’? sat with arms folded viewing these two guys. At one point the camera zeroed in on a cross which hung high on a wall. What caught my eye, thouugh was not the cross but the photographs of a woman in sensual poses surrounding the cross. My mind immediately went to Exodous 32 and the story of Moses coming down from the mountain to find the children of Isreal dancing before the golden calf. It took a whole lot of begging and pleading on Moses’ part to keep God from just killing them all. Is this what “ancient-future” is all about?

The other interesting thing in this You Tube conversation was the comment by Tony Jones that the words “justice”, “love” and “gospel” mean the same thing. Now if Tony meant that the gospel was about how a perfect God could not look upon fallen man because of man’s sin and so sent his perfect, sinless Son to die in their place so justice could be done; and that this was because of God’s great love for us, then I would agree that they are the same thing. But this does not seem to be the case. He talks about “God’s justice” in the world as being the “gospel”. But the truth is that “God’s mercy” in the world is the real “good news”. The fact that I do not have to pay the penalty for my sin if I accept this free gift - that’s really good news.

“Our last pose of the evening is called ‘savasana’ or corpse pose. The student lies on her back letting the legs fall open as they will, the arms hang limp like empty coat sleeves. The face, the forehead, the space between the eyebrows all relax, and the person melts heavily into the floor. Eyes are closed, breathing is rhythmic. I turn the lights off, and only the glow of candles and sometimes fireplace illuminates the room. This state of being is holy. It is at this time that we become closer to God, aware of our bodies, of the divine. . . . Slowly people get up, talk, commit to a daily practice of yoga in hopes of getting this feeling again and again. We are hesitant to leave this moment of shared reverence, this experience of worship.” (Church Re-imagined: 87, 89)

Does this bother any Christians other than me?

Disabled newborns likely to face death

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a leading British medical college, has called on the health profession to debate openly the active euthanasia of seriously disabled newborns, and the Church of England supports it.

The college believes the emotional and financial burden placed on parents of disabled children is a valid reason to consider the “mercy killings.”

“A very disabled child can mean a disabled family,” stated a formal submission by the college. “If life-shortening and deliberate interventions to kill infants were available, they might have an impact on obstetric decision-making, even preventing some late abortions, as some parents would be more confident about continuing a pregnancy and taking a risk on outcome.”

The college submitted its call for consideration of active euthanasia to the Nuffield Council of Bioethics, a body that will look into the ethical issues raised by the policy of prolonging newborn life, and euthanasia proponents are speaking out. Among those are the Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler, and controversial bioethics Princeton professor Peter Singer. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is my response to one part of the Sayonara Pastor column posted by David Fitch at Out Of Ur

7. Because it is hard for pastors to be servants when they are put on a pedestal. All pastors should have to clean toilets, serve the poor, and vacuum floors after potlucks.”

It’s always fascinating to check out what the bible has to say about these kinds of issues that face the church. A quick look in the book of Acts reveals how Peter and John handled this very thing. “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:1-4 NIV) Isn’t it wonderful how going back to the Word reveals God’s provision and instruction about even the lowliest of things? What is so amazing about this passage of scripture is that Stephen was one of the men chosen for this task of waiting tables and through this humble beginning, he rose to prominence and became the first martyr for Christ. I note that none of the twelve apostles waited tables.

Side note to David Mead’s comment, “True religion is taking care of the widows and orphans (James 1:27). Have we run out of those to spend so much money on buildings and people?” I see this verse quoted frequently regarding taking care of the poor and heartily agree with it. HOWEVER, I never see the second half of the verse quoted and it is just as important so here it is, “and to keep onself unstained by the world” (James 1:27b) The verse before talks about “bridling” the tongue (ouch) “without which one’s religion is vain.” Many sermon topics in this book!

I really like what I read at David Fritch’s church website and hope he doesn’t abandon his senior pastor position.

“It is because Christians want something more or something different…that they often go for false teachings. One of the major reasons that they hunger for more is because they have so little. Not that there is little in the Bible, but that there is so little of the Bible in them. They do not study the Scriptures in a serious fashion. The Spirit God gave you does not need to impart truth to you that He has already given to you in the Bible! He will enlighten you to the meaning and application of the Scriptures when you are willing to spend time prayerfully digging deeply into their meaning.”36
- Jay Adams

With all the excitement about the movie Amazing Grace some reference to the man who wrote the song seems appropriate. Here is an article I found on the life of John Newton who wrote the song and what the connection is to William Wilburforce.

The Story of John Newton
by Al Rogers

John Newton 1725-1807
“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…” So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations, New Britain or “45 on the top” in Sacred Harp. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace.

Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman.

Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant of a slave trader Read the rest of this entry »

By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
Wed, Feb. 14 2007 05:46 PM ET

The debate over Ted Haggard’s claim that he is now “completely heterosexual” incited a surge of reports on gay therapy and if it really frees people from homosexual feelings. And at the center of the debate are evangelicals, one of whom says many people, including Christians, have faulty thinking on the controversial matter. Read the rest of this entry »

A new book is out called, “Listening To The Beliefs of Emerging Churches” by Doug Pagitt, Karen Ward, John Burke, Dan Kimball and Mark Driscoll. Here is a great review by a guy named David Fairchild who attended a forum with the authors this past weekend. I find his perspective enlightening.

Here’s a pastor for Brian MacLaren’s “Generous Orthodoxy”. The pastor of the First Congregational Church of Ripon, CA stole the entire church building and parsonage out from under his flock. I guess they will have to change the name of the town from Ripon to Ripoff?

“…to be truly inclusive, the kingdom must exclude exclusive people, to be truly reconciling, the kingdom must not reconcile with those who refuse reconciliation…. [T]he kingdom of God is open to all, except those who want to ruin it by dividing it against itself.” (from the “Secret Message of Jesus”)