I spent one decade submerged into a subculture which I didn’t even realize existed at the time. As I found myself escaping the subculture, I realized I was living life only in the “Christian subculture“. Now, after spending a decade on the outside of the “Christian subculture“, I don’t consider myself bitter about the “Christian subculture” but alarmed about it!
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It is totally possible to be raised within a grace-based system, and yet develop a performance-based sense of religion. Note that I don’t say “sense of faith,” because by definition performance is not faith. Faith is trust. And level of trust is not a measure of our performance, but of our relationship. God knows our difficulty with trusting, when so much in life is broken. He’s both capable and willing to earn our trust, much as we don’t deserve that grace. But that’s the point of grace.
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By Brent Thomas
www.ColossiansThreeSixteen.com
Some time ago I wrote a piece entitled Who Says What’s Christian Music? in which I briefly examined the sad fact that the actual content of music has little to nothing to do with what is actually classified as “Christian” and “secular” music. Artists like Sufjan Stevens openly express their faith with artistic excellence but won’t be purchased in your local Christian bookstore because they dont play the marketing game. Meanwhile, Phillips, Craig and Dean, who openly deny the orthodox view of the Trinity are in every “Christian” bookstore because they do play the marketing game. Marketing rather than content determines what you can buy and where you can buy it.
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By S.L. Hazzard
As a mother, I was constantly entertained by the animated personality of my first-born daughter. She was constantly expressing her observations of the world around her, coupled with learning the English language, and combining the two in her unique creation of expressions and phrases. Now, as a grandmother, my grandchildren provide me with the same level of entertainment, with their unique style of communicating how the world looks through their eyes.
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So who is the most important person in the Bible? Well, besides Him, of course — and his Son and his Spirit.
It’s a curious question really, and maybe there’s not an answer. There are definitely people highlighted more than others, though that’s not necessarily a measure of importance. Saul takes up a good chunk of chapters, but in the long run he seems to be more of an oops than important. David steps in and his branch takes over the whole story.
I don’t really even mean honored. Isaiah, for instance, resonates to our day as being a great prophet. But, in the story he’s more of an observer and color commentator. He’s vital as a narrator, but not as a player.
How about Noah? He’s important. If he didn’t have that faith which builds boats then the story suggests humanity would have been wiped out.
David and Noah are important, for the Old Testament parts. As is Moses. We can’t forget Moses. Or Abraham. Abraham is a rather vital guy for all sorts of reasons. Maybe we could throw in Paul and Peter and John for the New Testament — both because they were major players and because if not for these three we wouldn’t really have much of a New Testament. Thank God for the writers, eh?
These are people we know. So they seem especially important, and for good reasons. But I’m thinking there are others. I’m constantly struck by the character actors in the text. You know, the men and women who show up, say a line or two, and then disappear.
Take this lady, for instance: Read the rest of this entry »
