Megachurches are no longer “Mega” these days. Unless, of course, you consider the megalomaniacs building these ornate and appalling edifices. Sure, some of them are huge because they have to be – see Willow Creek, The Potter’s House or Second Baptist Church for example
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Solomon’s Temple revisited: The worst megachurch yet
There have been claims that an English translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji finds itself at home at NASA and that the NASA scientist turn to Guru Ji for inspiration. NASA has been quiet on this issue and there is no information available if any of the claims are true.
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Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji message to NASA —-Beat you to it….
The Egyptian Muslim scholar and popular TV preacher angers some fundamentalists with statements such as, ‘The West is the victim of the Arabs, not the other way around.’ The mellifluous man in the sleek gray suit can make an Islamic radical wince in a nanosecond.
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A provocative voice of moderate Islam
Yesterday I wrote about how narratives do engage us through identification and disassociation. We can’t avoid that reality – it drives the popularity of movies, of bedtime stories, of Sunday School stories, of family fireside reminiscences, etc. But biblical narrative always offers something more. Our challenge as preachers is to be sure to always go there. What if the passage is easy to understand and ready to be preached. You’ve built a message based on the natural connection with a central character, or a minor character, or the original recipients. Your time is filled, the message will preach, that bird will fly. You aren’t done. You’re not ready. Biblical narratives either overtly or implicitly urge us to engage with the central characer in the canon – with God himself. Was it really David’s courage, or was it something about his faith in God and his instruction? Was it really about Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, or was there something going on in terms of her loyalty to a God who had so far not seemed very “effective”? Was it really about Joseph’s moral convictions, or was there something deeper going on in respect to his living by faith in a God who was with him when every circumstance screamed that he’d been long forgotten by such a God
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Beyond Identification
The exit of a seven-year-old participant from the India’s Got Talent reality show after judge Sajid Khan commmented that the martial arts dance form he performed was too violent has angererd Sikh groups in Punjab.
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Reality show judge angers Sikh groups in Punjab
One of the secrets of the success of narrative writing and storytelling (whether that is historical narrative, fiction, fantasy, film or whatever) is the power of identification. When you read, hear or see a story, you naturally find yourself either identifying with or disassociating from characters in the story. If you are left cold, it is usually a sign that the story isn’t being told well, or you are in some sort of disconnected state. So, if this is a central function of narratives, then it is a factor to consider in preaching biblical narratives. Some might try to make a hard and fast rule here, but again I would urge wisdom and consideration of the options. Identifying with the Central Character
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The Identification Situation
Oh, fellow Americans, you crack me up : When presented with the statement “human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals,” just 45 percent of respondents indicated “true.” Compare this figure with the affirmative percentages in Japan (78), Europe (70), China (69) and South Korea (64).
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It Takes Practice
In July I made the following new squidoo lenses relating to spirituality: Susan Seddon Boulet Goddess Paintings An artist whose art is still popular in the pagan scene, Susan Seddon Boulet will mostly be remembered for her goddess art. The mystical style of her paintings (mostly, but not exclusively, water color) strikes a core in many.
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New spiritual ‘lenses’ – pages on squidoo
The Boston Theological Institute together with Bentley University, the Congregational Library and Park Street Church: Commemorating the Bicentennial of the ABCFM* “A Conference on America’s First Sponsor of Overseas Christian Missions” The Congregational Library and Park Street Church Saturday, September 25, 2010 – Day-long Program Includes – 8:30 AM Academic Symposium The Congregational Library, 14 Beacon Street, Boston 2:00 PM Historic Trolley Tour of Boston Mission Sites 5:00 PM Gala Reception and Dinner, Park Street Church 0 Park Street, Boston 7:00 PM Keynote Address: “From 1810 – 2010” Todd Johnson, Editor, The Atlas of Global Christianity Registration covering costs of materials, luncheon, trolley tour and banquet ($50) For details & deadline for registration, contact the Boston Theological Institute 210 Herrick Road, Newton Center, MA 02459 – T: 617-527-4880 Email: btioffice@bostontheological.org * American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions
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A Conference on America’s First Sponsor of Overseas Christian Missions
Author Anne Rice said last week that she was ‘quitting Christianity:’ The once-lapsed Catholic wrote that she was could no longer accept her religion’s teachings on homosexuality, feminism, politics and birth control. “In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian,” Rice announced on her facebook page.
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Spiritual but not religious?