The Sun Worshippers

Watching this hippie revival old-school video from the Jesus Movement, then realizing how cool it is – people are open-air preaching on the college campus (Berkeley!) and evangelizing. No intimidation here. I can’t wait to see this happen again. You can check out the rest of this on youtube.

Video: Charles Finney Grave

Last time I visited my friends back in Cleveland I went to the grave of Charles Finney the great evangelist. I took a little video of it, and if you ever wanted to walk over the bones of a great evangelist you can do so “virtually”. Hey, if you have faith maybe you will get an impartation from it…

I’m Still Praying for Ted

While looking up the right hyperlink for yesterday’s post on Global Warming, I found this article written 4 years ago by Ted Haggard, the recently deposed past president of the NAE.  I confess I need to pray more for this guy than I have been, but reading this article was pretty amazing. He got the picture, and it’s amazing how much of an indictment it is against the politicized American church, as well as his own scandal a few months ago. I’m amazed that he had the guts to be so blunt about the state of things.

His article is called, “Maybe We’re Not Christians”. It definitely describes “Christians Behaving Badly” and offers some ways to change this! Here’s an excerpt:

…our words fall short when our marriages don’t work, our children are wild and disobedient, and we refine the art of giving and receiving money to the point that we could qualify as the experts in greed that Peter warns about in his second letter (see 2 Pet. 2:14).

We have a credibility problem. We have some wonderful churches, but increasingly, people do not seek to be connected.

We have some outstanding para-church leaders, but others are seen as self-satisfied right-wing crusaders who wouldn’t hesitate to banish the Supreme Court, establish a Christian theocracy, and use the power of the state to force the non-compliant into godly living.

While I’ll admit I’m currently more on the “right” than I ever have allowed myself to be, I appreciate his words here. We need to take out the beam in our eye, then we can present the truth of God with the heart of God. Gotta have both for it to work.

My Obnoxious Thoughts on Global Warming

OK, I can’t stand it anymore, all this blogging about global warming!

[See the following fine blogs for some additional perspectives:
Mont-ster Report, Steeno, Sliker ]

Cutting through all of the political stuff from both sides inside and outside the church, here is my take on it:

It is a unique opportunity for… Evangelism.

Huh!?! I hear a Scooby Doo noise in the background somewhere…

Here’s what I mean –

Global Warming is a rare topic for westerners whose lives are generally consumed with the here and now, or future plans and ambitions. In the age of Bono, Jolie, and USA for Africa (OK, wrong decade for that), I will also add good-natured humanistic endeavors to this list. The Global Warming topic is special because it gets people thinking about DEATH and MORTALITY.

1. mortality of the environment
2. mortality of themselves
3. the need to do something about it
4. the salvation of the earth

I don’t care to join the debate on either side. I’m sick of missing an enormous opportunity to steer the rare fixation of human mortality into a logical segway into our spiritual condition.

Example:
1. When the earth is allegedly destroyed and our cities turn into Atlantis, what will happen to your soul?

2. If someone had a provable, foolproof solution to our environmental issues, would you be willing to consider it, even if you had to admit you were wrong in your beliefs and change your behavior?

3. Even if we solved the earth’s problems but you died instead, what would happen to your soul?

4. If someone had a way for you to be released from the consequences of your mistakes and moral regrets, would you be willing to consider it, even if you had to admit you were wrong and change your behavior?

I would suggest that instead of ranting about the Global Warming hoax, that we put on our thespian cap and pretend that it is a viable option, for the sake of maintaining some sort of bridge for the Gospel. If people see Christians trying to steward the earth wisely, perhaps they might be more inclined to consider the infinitely more important issue of their own mortality, which Jesus died to do something about. Perhaps this is one reason why the NAE has been emphasizing their controversial “Creation Care” practices. To me it is well worth it to give a little for the sake of building a bridge for a much more important conversation… about one’s soul.

But you say, “the truth must prevail. We will not compromise on the truth.” And you’re probably right on this. Keep fighting your battles on the public arena, but I suggest we use the opportunity to talk about what really matters – eternity.