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!
Read the rest of this entry »
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
By Trina Daniels
While visiting a church recently, a severely obese pastor delivered a sermon. I had a tough time listening to the sermon about the failure of “Christians to witness.” I fell into the sin of judging him based on his obesity. As I glanced around the congregation, the majority of the people were overweight. I’m only human and couldn’t help but wonder why there wasn’t a message being taught about taking care of the bodies God has given us.
Overeating seems to be one of the sins which most pastors, Christians, reverends, and priests overlook. If “gluttony is a sin,” why is “Christian America” one of the “fattest nations“? It’s a serious issue which is seldom discussed despite a growing number of “christian” based weight loss programs.
Read the rest of this entry »
…No, I don’t mean what you might find up the nose of a Christian with a cold.
TheBereanCall.org’s radio program, Search the Scriptures Daily, quotes an Orlando Sentinel article from Feb 22/08 on evangelicals and global warming:
“Global warming is an offense against God….America needs our biblical outrage….we as a nation will face a judgment from God if we don’t do this.”
– Rev. Richard Cizik, National Association of Evangelicals’ vice-president of governmental affairs
Cizik has been covered by enviro mag Grist, the Washington Post, PBS’s Religion & Ethics Newsweekly and Christianity Today for his opinions on global warming. Other major evangelical leaders, including James Dobson, have called for him to be silenced or fired for his stance on the climate change controversy. According to a quote referenced by Christianity Today, Jerry Falwell brands it “be[ing] duped by these ‘earthism’ worshippers.”
Read the rest of this entry »
I was encouraged to read the news story that Ted Turner’s United Nations Foundation is joining efforts with the United Methodist Church and Lutheran World Relief to raise $200 million to fight malaria.
Read the rest of this entry »
