GUEST AUTHOR: Adam Groza

Many of us had been hoping McCain would choose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for his VP, and this morning the AP is announcing a McCain/Palin ticket. I think this is great for several reasons:

 

 

 

1) She is a pro-life politician.

2) She is a pro-life mother of five children who chose to give birth to a son with Down’s Syndrome.

3) She is pro-second amendment and is a member of the NRA and a hunter.

4) She is a sensible environmentalist.

5) She was willing to blow the whistle on GOP ethics violations.

6) She will be the only person on either ticket with executive experience.

7) She is Protestant Christian.

8) She has extremely high approval ratings.

9) She took on (and beat) a current and former Alaska governor in her own gubernatorial bid.

10) An all “west” ticket for the GOP will help win independents in states like CO, AZ, and NM.

What do you think? Does the VP choice carry much weight? What factors should a presidential candidate consider when choosing a VP? What do you think of McCain’s choice (please be civil)?

• Visit Palin’s bio page
• Read CNBC’s coverage
• Watch Glenn Beck’s thoughts
• Read Richard Land’s thoughts

Welcome once again. You’ve had a long, hard week. I know you have. It’s OK. Don’t let it grind you down. Stand strong. Stay firm. Hope for change. Change for hope and all that empty rhetoric. Browse to your mouse’s content. Look around. Poke a bit. Welcome to The Weekly Town Crier, where I collect for you the links and such that interested me and such throughout this past week. Please, remember, just because I link, that doesn’t mean I endorse, just that it interested me and I hope it will you too. Some will. Some won’t It’s up to you to decide.

See what I hear at Last.fm.

Sign up for eMusic, find lots of DRM-free downloads and help me earn free downloads in the process. Everyone wins!

While you’re out there exploring, you’ll need some music to listen to. Please consider subscribing to our podcast, the Habañero Hour at iTunes. Be our friend at Facebook, Myspace or last.fm.

Follow me on Twitter.

Read about Mark Driscoll’s cover story in Church Executive magazine.

Read about the baby that had been pronounced dead, coming back to life after spending several hours in a cooler.

Read about Donald Miller’s decision to participate in the Democratic National Convention.

Read about Obama picking Biden as VP.

See the new iPod Nano?

Read about Guliani saying Obama should have picked Clinton as VP.

Read this piece examining the lineup of artists playing at the Democratic National Convention.

See what it costs to book some bands.

Check out Fire.fm, a Firefox addon on for your last.fm account.

Visit seinfeldscripts.com, where you can read, well, scripts from every episode of Seinfeld.

Read about Cameron Strang’s decision not to pray at the DNC.

Read this piece reminding us that, for Chinese Christians, this was a brutal Olympics.

Read this piece arguing that Mac should release a touch screen computer.

IE 8 to include “anonymous” browser feature? Why would you really need to browse anonymously? Got something to hide?

Browse new research consider the ongoing battle of Baptists and the Bible.

Read about the soon-to-be unveiled Google Suggest, which will fill in the blank of what it thinks you will be searching for. Kind of like the predictive texting of searching?

Read Christianity Today’s review of the new one from This Beautiful Republic.

Read as Paste catches up with Frank Black.

Preorder the new one from Woven Hand.

Read as Barna’s new research shows that “young adults and liberals” struggle with morality.

Read as Christianity Today considers the themes of The Dark Knight in light of the Old Testament.

Read about the U.K.’s latest game show Make Me a Christian, where “Christian leaders attempt to bring a group of unlikely candidates to the faith. The show’s premise is to find out if Christianity can help repair the moral fabric of British society.”

Read as the AP considers the DNC’s use of prayer.

Read about several colleges getting rid of cafeteria trays.

Read about YouTube’s copyright detection system helping provide income rather than shut down unauthorized videos.

Read this piece which notes the importance of a good bassist.

Read as Paste catches up with Calexico.

Read this piece which says that Led Zeppelin is working on new material.

Read about the blogger who was arrested for streaming the new Guns n’ Roses album. I second that. Anyone streaming Guns n’ Roses should be arrested.

Read about Charles Wesley’s secret code diary being unlocked.

Read as the Wall Street Journal considers “What Saddleback’s Pastor Really Thinks About Politics.”

Read as Nancy Pelosi says that when human life actually begins shouldn’t have an impact on a woman’s right to choose.

Visit the newly updated Gospel Coalition site to watch several short videos and find out about the 2009 conference.

Read the “personal correspondence” between Donald Miller and Barack Obama.

Read Mark Driscoll’s piece arguing that Christians should study.

GUEST AUTHOR: Adam Groza

Last Friday night my wife and I had the opportunity to see Doug Burr in concert at Lola’s in Fort Worth, a small and stylish bar with a decent sound system. I would guess there were about 125 people present. Burr shared the bill with Monahan’s, Telegraph Canyon, and Calhoun. We caught Calhoun and Burr but had to head home to rescue the babysitter (many thanks to Hope for watching our children much, much later than we anticipated). Burr took the stage on time at 11 PM and if memory serves, performed a set until about midnight. It was a great mix of songs from On Promenade and Sickle and Sheaves.

This was my third time seeing Doug Burr perform live, and as previously, he did not disappoint. Burr performs with a band comprised of drums, electric guitar, slide guitar, bass, and keyboard. His keyboardist also plays the banjo and sings backup, although it was disappointing that backup mics were not loud enough to hear. Overall the band is tight and performed with a passion that matched Burr’s own subtle intensity (Burr and his band perform seated).

Burr produces really compelling songs. Musically, he has a knack for matching the theme of the lyric with an appropriate sound (”Should’ve Known” and “Slow Southern Home” are good examples). His songs feature transcendent themes such as death (”Graniteville”) and temptation (”Thing about Trouble”) and often have an appropriately haunting and otherworldly sound. Yet Burr isn’t pretentious, preachy, or heavy handed. In Lola’s, a packed house of 20 something’s sang along “Wake up baby there’s a train coming” where the train is obviously a symbol of mortality. I couldn’t help but think of St. Paul’s admonition (wake up dead man).

Burr has great artistic range. “Graniteville” is pure Americana. “Should’ve Known” has a dark and nervous vibe that is balanced by Burr’s melodic voice and unabashed southern drawl. Come to My Senses is a beautifully written piece that juxtaposes hope and despair and ends with a jubilant and hymn-like country sound that is heavy on banjo.

Best of all, Burr takes his live performance seriously. He comes across as someone who believes in his music and message and wants you to listen. So many performers are nonchalant. Burr is humble yet earnest. He isn’t afraid to play and sing loud. His lyrics are poetic and he annunciates so you care, as he does, about what he is singing.

So I cannot recommend enough that you check out his website and make sure to catch him live if at all possible. Be on the lookout for a tantalizing new project of Psalms, two of which you can listen to on his MySpace. You can also download his songs at iTunes.

• Visit Doug Burr’s official website
• Purchase On Promenade from Velvet Blue Music
• Download Doug Burr’s music from eMusic
• Download Doug Burr’s music from iTunes

As I noted here, since Church of the Cross is currently meeting on Sunday evenings, I have taken this chance to visit some of the other churches in our area, particularly large churches, trying to get a feel for the spiritual “pulse” of our area.

I’m particularly fascinated by large churches. As much as I am able, I continually check my motives with this fascination. I think it stems from my unique background in public relations and ministry. What is it that these particular churches do well enough to attract many people? AND, is what they’re doing really what a church should be doing? In other words, is it biblical? Does it make much of Jesus at every turn?

With all of that in mind, I visited “Large, Popular Church B” this past weekend. Initially, I was greeted with much of the same experience as “Large, Popular Church A.” An off-duty police officer helped direct the flood of traffic pouring into the facilities through the ornamented entry-way. I had to note which section I parked my car in, particularly because I had no idea where the sanctuary was. My hunch was that it was buried somewhere right in the middle of the massive compound.

Though this facilities was a bit more dated than the previous church, everything ran like a Swiss watch. The greeter handed me my worship guide (interestingly enough, neither church used these for anything service-related, they were full of plugs for other programs, etc. All the song lyrics were presented on the overhead screens and they assumed I wouldn’t be interested in actually seeing the order of worship itself). I don’t know if this was a ministry kick-off week, but the foyer was crammed with booths promoting various and sundry programs. Everything age-segregated programs to worship style. Don’t worry, they can cater to you and they want you to know it.

The sanctuary had many round tables set up in the back. I don’t know if they have discussion groups in the room at other times or if it is for the people who don’t like traditional seating. As the service began, the songs made much of Jesus and I began to find optimism seeping in to my soul. This optimism, however, was soon dried up as the sermon began. It started well enough, from what I could tell, they actually preach through books of the Bible and this week, they were on Acts 17, and Paul’s address at Mars Hill. Oh, and did I mention the video promotion for the Alpha Course’s “Party With a Purpose?” No, keep that in mind because it will be important later.

To his credit, the man did a good job explaining the cultural background, the difference between and the importance of the Epicureans and the Stoics, but a good history lesson does not a good sermon make. After about 25 minutes of historical background and hints that we too, should be sharing our faith, the pastor invited a woman to come up and “share her journey.” As this woman began to speak, it became apparent that her message, and the message of the “sermon” was that everyone in the room should join an Alpha group. She not only promoted the Alpha course but two other conferences to attend.

Then the music guy came up and gave an awkward challenge that we shouldn’t be afraid to share our faith and then told us that we could stay or leave, whatever we would like. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for evangelism. I’m all for helping people overcome the fear of people. I even think it is appropriate to challenge people to evangelism in worship services and in a sermon. But come on. Acts 17, and you’re point is that I should join a program?

What breaks my heart (well, one of the things) after visiting these two churches is the consumer mindset. Both churches have done well at branding themselves, and I personally don’t see anything wrong with churches being proactive about being noticed. However, for these churches, this marketing mentality has stained everything they do. Hence, there is a program for everyone. I don’t know this for sure, but it is probably safe to say that many of those programs are not in fact related to one another. In other words, there is no clear process for making disciples, just hooks to draw in people according to their already established personal preferences.

Both of these churches emphasize a convenient, easy, non-threatening environment. But Christianity is rarely about what is convenient for us, and it is certainly not about our personal preference. Where is the notion that we must consider others above ourselves if there is something for everyone and no one is ever asked to sacrifice anything because nearly every preference can be met somewhere?

I’m also not comfortable with the notion of church being entertainment. I think there is a place for joy, I think it ought to be engaging, I think it ought to draw people in, but entertainment is passive. Worship is for participants.

It interests me to know end that, in their own ways, both of these churches practices a nearly complete disregard for the Bible. I say they “practice” this because I’m sure, if you asked both churches, they would deny this. But in both churches, the message is dumbed down to the point that there is no way to really take the Word seriously.

Perhaps I’m being overly critical here and need to pay the second church another visit, just for the benefit of the doubt. But somehow, I doubt it will be any different. How is it that we have come to accept the false notion that people shouldn’t be challenged to think deeply in Church? How is it that deep, challenging preaching has become so rare? Again, I don’t by any means claim to be a great preacher. Nor do I claim to have this figured out. But I am convinced and convicted that if I am not feeding my people the deep meat of the Word, then I am not fulfilling my role as a pastor and Church of the Cross might as well hang a “community center” sign outside (please forget the fact that we currently meet at a recreation center! Suspension of disbelief it’s called).

Is it possible for a church to use media without simply pandering to entertainment tendencies? Is it possible to use marketing without dumbing everything down to programs for everyone? It’s obvious that many people, at some level, want to be engaged spiritually, so how do healthy churches move these people who don’t know any differently into deeper, more challenging churches without simply “sheep stealing?” What has your experience been? Do larger churches tend to be more shallow? How can/should deeper churches grow (I know I am going to get at least one comment or e-mail now branding me as a “church growth” guy, but come on, shouldn’t we want our churches to grow)?

• Read J.L. Dagg’s Manual of Church Order online
• Read Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
• Read Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper
• Read The Church by Edmund Clowney

GUEST AUTHOR: Jim

Let me just state at the outset that I expect 99% of prayers at political meetings, whether Democratic or Republican, to be useless mush that mostly stumbles into idolatry. Why do I say that? I find there to be scant evidence that these prayers are conducted solely to honor God while relying on our standing before God on account of the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Instead, these prayers, in whole or in part, seem crafted to reinforce the ideas that:

1. Those in attendance and those watching on TV are should know that we are righteous, sincere, and devout people.

2. We all have legitimate pathways to God, no matter what faith.

3. Being unified in good works is what matters most to God.

4. Our faction’s national vision is pure in its motives and would probably be endorsed by God himself.

5. Jesus’ most important work was that of a moral example and social activist.

I’m guessing that no matter what your religious background is, you’ll find one, maybe two of those ideas to be off-the-mark. Let’s agree that there’s obviously something very self-aggrandizing in the human heart that seeks praise and influence on the basis of the righteousness we show outwardly.

Yet for the believer in Christ, there should be an awareness that all five ideas I’ve listed are woefully problematic and opposed to the Christian gospel. Any Christian who is asked to lead prayer for a civic event should be prepared to resist the temptation to subtly but fatally compromise your Christian confession by paying homage to our civic religion and its precepts.

I’m not going to pick apart the prayer Donald Miller just gave to the Democratic National Convention, but I trust that after reading it below, you’ll understand why I found it to conform to my low expectations for political prayers.

As an aside, I must say that it was odd to watch him looking into the camera/teleprompter with eyes-wide-open during the delivery. The most disturbing moment by far, though, was the inflection in his voice at the end while invoking the name of Jesus. He put a self-conscious, tenuous emphasis on the first person in saying, “I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus…” That moment of “confessing” Christ was delivered with all the conviction of someone who prefers butter-pecan ice cream to other flavors, as in, “I understand that we have people present who like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate…but you should know that I’m a butter-pecan guy and it would be good for other fans of butter-pecan to hear me saying it from this podium.”

I’ve pasted the prayer below for your perusal, as taken from Miller’s Web site.

“Father God,

This week, as the world looks on, help the leaders in this room create a civil dialogue about our future.

We need you, God, as individuals and also as a nation.

We need you to protect us from our enemies, but also from ourselves, because we are easily tempted toward apathy.

Give us a passion to advance opportunities for the least of these, for widows and orphans, for single moms and children whose fathers have left.

Give us the eyes to see them, and the ears to hear them, and hands willing to serve them.

Help us serve people, not just causes. And stand up to specific injustices rather than vague notions.

Give those in this room who have power, along with those who will meet next week, the courage to work together to finally provide health care to those who don’t have any, and a living wage so families can thrive rather than struggle.

Hep us figure out how to pay teachers what they deserve and give children an equal opportunity to get a college education.

Help us figure out the balance between economic opportunity and corporate gluttony.

We have tried to solve these problems ourselves but they are still there. We need your help.

Father, will you restore our moral standing in the world.

A lot of people don’t like us but that’s because they don’t know the heart of the average American.

Will you give us favor and forgiveness, along with our allies around the world.

Help us be an example of humility and strength once again.

Lastly, father, unify us.

Even in our diversity help us see how much we have in common.

And unify us not just in our ideas and in our sentiments—but in our actions, as we look around and figure out something we can do to help create an America even greater than the one we have come to cherish.

God we know that you are good.

Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans.

I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice.

Let Him be our example.

Amen.“

our friend Carlos Whittaker has posted the prayer, both on his website and over at YouTube:

 

• Visit Donald Miller’s official website
• Visit Christianity Today’s interview with Miller
• Read Donald Miller for yourself

 

Featured artist: Jaime Barnes. Music from Capital Lights, Knights of the New Crusade, Justin McRoberts and more. Welcome to Episode 04!

Episode 04 features interview segments from a Colossians Three Sixteen interview with Jamie Barnes (read the entire interview here). Episode 04 also features some great music. Check it out:

The Habañero Hour Episode 04 setlist:

1. The Son of God Goes Forth To War by The Knights of the New Crusade
2. Those Expensive Eyes by Kat Jones
3. Back By Midnight by Ponoka
4. 1914 by A Rotterdam November
5. Conflict Diamond by Jamie Barnes
6. The Light Princess by Gileah and the Ghost Train
7. Mile Away by Capital Lights
8. Shine on Me by Telescope
9. Natuu by Stammering Lipz
10. You Can’t Go Wrong by Jamie Barnes
11. A Hope Deferred by Justin McRoberts
12. Innocence by Atlas Takes Aim
13. Changed Man by Brian Whitman
14. All Across the Nation by The All Saved Freak Band

• Subscribe in iTunes
• Download episode 04 as an mp3 file to your computer

 

Below you’ll find detailed information about each of the songs and artists played. All music is used with express permission from the artists and/or their management and every effort has been made to provide the most information possible. Whenever possible, we ask that you purchase music directly from the artists themselves.

 

“The Son of God Goes Forth To War” by The Knights of the New Crusade appears on the album A Challenge To The Cowards Of Christendom.

• Visit The Knights of the New Crusade’s Myspace page

 

“Those Expensive Eyes” by Kat Jones on her 2004 album, La Rosa, La Calavera.

• Visit Kat Jones’ Myspace page

 

“Back By Midnight” by Ponoka appears on their album Hindsight

• Visit Ponoka’s official website

 

“1914″ by A Rotterdam November appears on their self-titled album.

• Visit the band’s official website
• Visit A Rotterdam November’s Myspace page

 

“Conflict Diamond” by Jamie Barnes appears on the album The Recalibrated Heart.

• Visit Jamie Barnes’ official website
• Visit Jamie Barnes’ Myspace page

 

“The Light Princess” by Gileah and the Ghost Train appears on their self-titled album.

• Visit the band’s official website
• Visit Gileah and the Ghost Train’s Myspace page

 

“Mile Away” by Capital Lights appears on the album This Is An Outrage!.

• Visit Capital Light’s Myspace page

 

“Shine On Me” by Telescope appears on the album For The Rest of Us.

• Visit Telescope’s official website

 

“Natuu” by Stammering Lipz is a demo recording.

• Visit Stammering Lipz’ Myspace page

 

“You Can’t Go Wrong” by Jamie Barnes appears on the free Paper Crane EP.

• Download the EP for yourself

 

“A Hope Deferred” by Justin McRoberts appears on the album Deconstruction.

• Visit Justin McRoberts’ official website
• Download the album from Noisetrade.

 

“Innocence” by Atlas Takes Aim appears on the Tuesday EP.

• Visit the band’s official website
• Visit Atlas Takes Aim’s Myspace page

 

“Changed Man” by Brian Whitman appears on the album This Great Defeat.

• Visit Brian Whitman’s official website
• Visit Brian Whitman’s Myspace page

 

“All Across the Nation” by the All Saved Freak Band appears on the album Sower.

Visit the band’s official website

I know you’re busy. I know you’re ankle deep in the flow of progress. Thank you for taking time out of your buys life to share it with me here at The Weekly Town Crier. This is where I collect for you links that, for one reason or another, I found interesting this past week. It seems necessary once in a while to remind all of us that linking to a piece here does not necessarily endorse said piece. It only means that it caused me to think or I found it interesting in some way, hopefully it will do the same for you.

See what I hear at Last.fm.

Sign up for eMusic, find lots of DRM-free downloads and help me earn free downloads in the process. Everyone wins!

While you’re out there exploring, you’ll need some music to listen to. Please consider subscribing to our podcast, the Habañero Hour at iTunes. Be our friend at Facebook, Myspace or last.fm.

Follow me on Twitter.

Watch this great little animated short about octopus love.

Watch this to see what people think of Windows Vista when they think it’s a system called “Mojave”.

Read about Myspace’s parent company signing on with the Family Online Safety Institute.

Read about Twitter (sort of) implementing comment threads.

Download JJ Heller’s new album Painted Red for free.

See my family’s updated blog.

Browse various reactions to the Saddleback Presidential forum. Read the transcripts.

Watch Driscoll in the UK on preaching Christ.

Browse this list of free mp3 downloads from Amazon.

Read as the Guardian considers Obamas appeal to younger voters.

Read as the Independent considers the future of album art in the iPod age.

Read as the Washington Post considers Pandora’s future in the digital royalties battle.

Compare the favorite songs of McCain and Obama.

Read/watch/listen as this piece considers the musical genius of Miles Davis.

Read about China confiscating Bibles from American Christians.

Read this piece which argues that abstinence pledges are effective.

Is Rob Bell leaving his pastorate?

Compare the market shares of Internet Explorer and Firefox. Come on people, IE? Really?

Read about the lost baby whale that thought a yacht was its mother.

Chocolate covered bacon?

If chocolate covered bacon is not your thing, how about meatcake?

Happy Birthday CD, now go away.

Are video venues helping create “GigaChurches“?

Read as Mark Driscoll asks: “Are you an activist or a contemplative?”

Read as Mark Driscoll advises on confronting your weaknesses once identified.

Read Al Mohler’s thoughts on the Saddleback forum.

Hard to believe, but the Bigfoot discovery was a hoax.

All hail the Fail Whale!

Browse and ponder the names of God.

Watch a short story in stop motion (ht: luz).

Read Pitchfork’s review of the new one from Ra Ra Riot The Rhumb Line.

Read Pitchfork’s review of the new one from Nico Muhly, Mothertongue .

Read Boston.com’s review of Glen Campbell’s new cover album.

Read this piece considering the connection between music and memory.

Read as Paste considers the best 10 songs used in commercials during the Olympics.

Visit the great new resource, bestcommentaries.com, which, as you might guess, recommends good biblical commentaries.

Read as National Review wonders if McCain is considering a pro-choice VP.

Read about the “60 newly hatched sea turtles” who “lost their way during their ritual passage to the sea and marched into an Italian restaurant.”

Read about Phil Collins’ costly divorce.

Tell your college freshman to get a job.

Read about the former pastor who lied about having a terminal illness.

Read about college presidents lobbying to have the drinking age lowered to 18.

Read Christianity Today’s review of the new album from Family Force Five.

Read their review of the new one from Charlie Hall.

Read their review of the new one from Lightheaded MC Braille.

Read about both major campaigns charging for yard signs.

Read an interview with Mark Driscoll at sydneyanglicans.net.

Browse this list of what makes a good blog. How does Colossians Three Sixteen measure up?

Watch as Brian McLaren assures us that Obama will take care of us because he cares for his family.

Our friend Luz reminds that Mac is again number one in customer satisfaction.

Read as Southern Cross magazine interviews Mark Driscoll.

Browse the numbers regarding Acts 29 and Church planting.

While our new church is meeting on Sunday evenings, I am trying to get a feel for what is going on in the church culture of the area by visiting some other churches. Our area is largely suburban and bordered by a few very large churches. As a fledgling church planter, I’m very interested in how these larger churches function. What draws people and what keeps them there? As a naturally cynical person, my first thought is that many, if not most large churches are large because they are simply tickling people’s ears (2 Timothy 4:3-4), but this is simply an unfair assumption. So I have begun visiting.

I have visited one of the largest churches in our area for two weeks now. The first Sunday, there was no sermon. I didn’t need to, nor was I asked to open my Bible once during the entire service. Apparently, it was the children’s ministry’s turn to run the service. There were several skits, lots of comedy and upbeat music, but no sermon and only one reference to a specific bible verse. Everything was run very smoothly, kept energetic and frankly, was quite entertaining. Fearing that was the point, I committed to return when there was an actual sermon.

So I went back last Sunday and found myself visiting on the first Sunday of a new sermon series: “One Month to Live.” Subtitled “Live With Passion,” the sermon was the first of a series encouraging people to get their priorities right in light of the inescapable fact that, sooner or later, we will all die. The service was opened with Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Were Dying during which no one was asked to sing along. It was pure performance in every sense of the word. The sermon was introduced by a clip from the movie The Bucket List and the service was peppered with theatrical songs and video clips. Both songs had “rock concert” lighting on the crowd during many of the songs, particularly during the dramatic moments.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not necessarily against video clips and such if they’re done well (which these were), they’re appropriate (these were questionable) and they further the point of the Scriptural text being considered (these did not). But, based upon the previous week, I wondered whether or not this particular church was as much, if not more, about entertaining than anything else. Sadly, after week two, I was more convinced rather than less.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the world’s greatest exegete or preacher. But I can spot a bad sermon when I hear one. Let me clarify. This man was a great public speaker. Calm but engaging, clear spoken, dynamic; everything you would look for. But this was a bad sermon because of what he did with the text. When I hear people get the text wrong, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they just missed it, but in this case, I’m not so sure. As mentioned, the sermon’s theme was Live With Passion. The text, or so the worship guide said, was Luke 5:18-26. But, here’s how this man read the text in his message:

“And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

Skip down to the end of verse 24:

he said to the man who was paralyzed—”I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Now, do you notice something? Yes, he skipped a section. But he didn’t just skip a section, he skipped the point of the passage. He skipped verses 21-24a:

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”

The point of the healing was that it validated Jesus as God with the power and authority to forgive sins. The subject is Jesus. But the message focuses on the friends (i.e. us) and drew the following points:

1) Do something drastic
2) Expect the unexpected
3) Create God Space
4) Keep a constant reminder

APPLICATION: What do I need to change in my life so that I will have no regrets.

I wanted to think the best, even through this. But as the sermon came to a close, they showed a video of the pastor interviewing a woman with terminal cancer. He did not ask about her testimony. Instead, he asked why she chose that church. The point of his sermon was us, not Jesus and the point of this video was this church rather than eternity. All of this, of course, was draped in entertainment.

I have prayed about this. I have prayed for discernment and humility. I don’t want to be critical just for the sake of being critical and I don’t want to have sour grapes because I pastor a brand new church while this church has thousands of people. However, it breaks my heart that this church simply gives credence to my cynicism: it is large because it tickles people’s ears and not much more.

What can we learn from this church: numbers are not the true indicator of success or failure in the church. Entertainment is one of edification’s worst enemies. We cannot buy into the lie that shallow is acceptable. We cannot pass off the world’s panderings as worship. We must do things well yet authentically. When things are done with this degree of professionalism, it is on one hand impressive and on the other heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because, on some level, it’s about the show and the emotion it creates. This is then confused with being effective. Another thing we should not lose sight of is that many people do want to go to church and that many people simply don’t know any differently.

I ultimately chose to write this piece because I care for Christ and His Bride. I cannot stand by silently while churches like this actually turn people off of deeper teaching and growth for the sake of entertainment. Please feel free to interact and let know if I am wrong or out of line. I don’t want to be one of those bloggers that simply tears others down, but at the same time, we must be willing to say that, just because it looks like something good, it might not be.

• Read J.L. Dagg’s Manual of Church Order online
• Read Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
• Read Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper
• Read The Church by Edmund Clowney