Christianity Today released an article this month titled, Willow Creek’s ‘Huge Shift’. Since a friend asked what I thought about this, I thought I’d share it with you, my faithful readers and random visitors with hope that you will further sharpen my thinking. Or (gasp!) correct me. This is my…
Moral Outrage: Folsom Street Sinnage … er … Signage
Wherein I opine on the culture war between Christianity and those of homosexual persuasion, and their supporters. So, breaking news, San Fransisco is a gay-friendly town. Oh, more breaking news: Chrisitanity is anathema to a sinful lifestyle. And it’s an easy target for sinners. So the 24th annual hedonistic fetish…
What’s Different? Church vs. Bar
photo: ukdenners Overheard recently: “I’m wondering what’s the difference between church and the bar?” In church you pray for the Spirit. In a bar you pay for the spirits? (Sorry, couldn’t resist!) Anyways… Everybody knows your name… When Jennifer and I lived in Springfield, MO, and worked at the Assemblies…
Carlton Pearson: The closest to God you’ll probably ever get
The Carlton Pearson curiosity continues. Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed the amount of search engine queries landing on this site have shot heavenward for Carlton Pearson. The searchers have typed: carlton pearson goes bad carlton pearson has cancer carlton pearson has lost his mind is carlton pearson gay?…
Sexual Conversion: Gender dysphoria, the UMC and the transgendered minister
I recently wrote about the relatively unremarked issue of gender dysphoria and believers opting for gender reassignment. I wrote that I had communicated with Assemblies of God leadership about this issue some years ago, and that I believed a position paper is in order — now, not at some later date…
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Hollywood: The modern Areopagus
Recently, I posted my Spider-Man Bible Study / Discussion Guide. Simultaneously, I dropped a few comments on some blogs that referenced a different Spider-Man Bible Study produced by Fuller Theological Seminary’s professor Craig Detweiler. Some GodBloggers have been critical of the whole “movie-based Bible study” enterprise. Not surprising, really: using…
Should Ministry Leaders Blog?
Hat tip to Michael Davis for alerting me to this question posed over at Total Leadership: “Should Ministry Leaders Blog?” Here are my thoughts… A blogger with a “why” beats one with only a “how” Blogging can be a waste of a leader’s time if he doesn’t know what he’s…
How to get arrested at Central Bible College. Plus: The Unremarked Transgendered Issue
I was surprised to read of a recent arrest at Central Bible College when some folks arranged a non-violent protest and an attempt to “dialog” with allegedly “homophobic” school officials over Gay, Lesbian, and Transgendered issues recently: Central Bible College: Our First Act of Civil Disobedience (via Soulforce) The blogger,…
Apostasy: Rejecting Ideas
In some cultures and eras, apostates face certain death. In America, it’s the church that’s dying from apostasy.
Apostate – it’s not exactly a common word. But for those doomed to hear its rare pronouncement, it can mean imminent death or serious eternal consequences.
Like repentance , apostasy implies a rejection or abandonment of a practice, ideal, or belief. And one religion’s penitent is another one’s apostate
Internet Evangelism Thoughts
My friend and fellow PneumaBlogger, Frank N. Johnson over at Strategic Digital Outreach, was recently highlighted on GospelCom’s GospelCon blog. In “Flawed Follow-Up or a Flawed Philosophy of Evangelism?” Frank writes: “[T]hose of us involved in internet evangelism in the West have, in many cases, devalued face-to-face relationships and neglected (or even abandoned) the local aspect of Christian community. . . . [W]e … are much too quick to assume that virtual community is just as ideal as face-to-face community. . . .
Prayer Request: Collection agency came calling
This morning we were woken by a collection agency that wants $2,000 from us immediately. Back in November 2005,I wrecked my little beat-up Toyota in a traffic pile-up caused by a driver in the wrong lane. The car was totaled, towed to a lot, and I signed the paperwork agreeing…
Jesus Camp and BlogRodent on Word-FM
Last year, on October 3, I did a live interview with John Hall and Stephanie Fraschetti from Word-FM about the “Jesus Camp” documentary that was then the height of Evangelical fear-mongering (start here if you don’t know what I’m talking about: “Jesus Camp: Brainwashed in the Blood — or Is it…
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Imminent post on the Ted Haggard debacle
I have been silent on the outing of Ted Haggard, not because I have nothing to say, but I needed to know more of the story before writing anything. And I needed time for my heart to break. Now that most of the relevant data are in, I will do…
On Blogging: A Challenge to Pentecostals
I want to say a few words about the power of blogging on a personal level. And I want to challenge my fellow quiet Pentecostals and Charismatics to pick up the keyboard and begin writing. Words have ConsequencesA friend on an email message group recently asked me about the effectiveness…
Jesus Camp: One Edit Away From Propaganda?
That two unbelieving directors don’t understand Pentecostals — or Evangelicals — isn’t surprising. That they produced a film rife with ignorance and bias is also unsurprising. But that ordinary people who can normally tie their shoes and avoid bad movies like Gigli don’t see how insufferably biased this documentary is … well, that’s…
Jesus Camp: Brainwashed in the Blood – or Is it Spin?
Jesus Camp , what an experience. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s investigation into the hidden world of one Pentecostal kids’ camp simultaneously delighted me, fascinated me, and embarrassed me. I love…
Jesus Camp review coming soon, my reaction to the trailer
This week, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s indie documentary, “Jesus Camp”, is set to release, and already the blogosphere is all abuzz about it. I can’t wait. I will be catching a pre-release screening of the film through the auspices of Christianity Today International, my employer, and will write my reactions to it as soon as possible. Of course, I’ll share it with you.
More on Violence In, Violence Out
The other day I reposted an article I wrote for CTLibrary.com titled, “Violence In, Violence Out.” A couple responses provided sufficient motivation to write a lengthy response–which I summarily decided should be a blog entry instead. To follow the conversation, check out the original post. Marc V. (also known under the blogonymn, “Spudlet”) wrote: I’m wrestling with…
Video Games: Violence In, Violence Out?
This is a repost of a recent article for CTLibrary.com. Enjoy, and please post your reactions. (For a related post, see, “Violence and Entertainment.”) Is mounting teen violence evidence of the effects of violent video games? CHRISTIANITY TODAY LIBRARY | RICHARD TATUM | JULY 31, 2006 On Tuesday, March 24,…
Half of all Christian men hooked on porn? Oh, come on…
Okay, this is just irresponsible. ChristiaNet, billing itself as “the world’s most visited Christian website” recently offered a web-based survey asking visitors to answer “eleven questions about their personal sexual conduct.” A press release from ChistiaNet trumpeted the results. After receiving 1,000 results, ChristaNet asked Second Glance Ministries to help evaluate…
The Apprentice: Ten Leadership Lessons I Learned
I’ve been watching NBC’s Trumpfest, The Apprentice, since it began four seasons ago. At first I watched because it was a Burnett production, and my wife and I were enjoying Survivor. So, we figured since Mark Burnett was the wunderkind of unReality TV, it would be worth a watch. Now in its fifth season, my wife has stopped watching, but I still catch it on Tivo.
I’m not a particular fan of Donald Trump, conspicuous consumption, materialism, the almighty dollar, cut-throat business dealings, white-collar back-stabbing, greed, jealousy, petty rivalries, or getting fired. Its not entirely schadenfreude—the joy of watching others experience pain—it’s more like the fascination of seeing justice served when incompetent workers get axed mixed with cheers for the scrappy underdog I want to win. Whatever the source of my fascination, I’m surprised my date with Donald has lasted into the fifth season. But it’s not about Donald. Not for me. I couldn’t care less how financially successful he is: his opulent lifestyle alternately bores and sickens me. And I just don’t “get” the awe these Trump-ites hold for him. No, it’s not Trump. I watch each episode with horror thinking, How can the head of any corporation possibly think these knuckle-draggers have what it takes to run a food pantry, much less a major enterprise? Each week is another slow, sweaty train-wreck, and I can’t look away.
I think, of all the seasons so far, the only one where I really cared about the finale and who won, was last 
year, when the scary-smart, charming, Southern Baptist, Randal Pinkett, was chosen to be the apprentice. I had been pulling for him the entire season, seeing in him a young man with great emotional intelligence matched with good practical intelligence as well. That he was charming, handsome, affable, and a natural leader with clear integrity were all pluses. I thought …
Fatal Sincerity: Our complicit silence when heresy speaks
Some of these televangelists may be sincere people (I’m convinced many are not), but they are sincerely, fatally wrong. The shallow, selfish, emotional gospel preached in these circles is not going to stand up over the long haul in this culture. Good grief. In the NT, even the local church deacons had to understand and hold fast to the deep truths of the faith. Local church elders/pastors had to do the same, and be able to teach these truths to the building up of the local church. Today, even prominent “ministers” are so ignorant that they are completely clueless as to the mere fact of their ignorance, let alone its depth….
Eichenwald blasts bloggers. Is that a fact or is he reporting again?
You may remember how New York Times reporter Kurt Eichenwald discovered the seedy world of teenage webcam porn, and how his investigation became personal when he encouraged the subject he was interviewing—Justin Berry—to give up his sordid life, turn State’s evidence, and kick drugs. Eichenwald has since been in the hot seat…
Cheap Grace: Pimp my gospel!
The editors of Leadership journal have posted another incisive commentary on the state of the Church today in their Out of Ur weblog. It’s about how we (in the Western church) have turned the gospel into a pimping enterprise. There’s nothing really new here, it’s the same complaint Bonhoeffer had…
Latest on Golden Murder
On Wednesday, February 15, WSAV News reported that Eric Brian Golden, the 35–year-old Southside Assembly of God youth pastor who killed his wife, was formally indicted on several charges in Chatham County, Georgia (in Savannah). According to the Chatham County Courhouse website, the case was filed on the 15th, and the next event will be a conference hearing on April 20. Hon. Perry Brannen, Jr., is the judge, and Golden is being defended by attorney John P. Sugrue.