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Introduction To The House of Carr
Introduction To The House of Carr

Faith

Huge

The implications of this admission should be huge to the majority of evangelical churches. In short, Willow Creek has admitted that they way they did discipleship, in which they invested millions and which they encouraged other churches to emulate, was flawed. And yet large numbers of megachurches and wanna-be-megachurches subscribe to this theory. This deserves a much more thorough treatment on my part but I'd be interested to hear some thoughts on this.

All Things Osteen

I haven't really done an extensive post on Joel Osteen, though I did talk about health/wellness gospel here. Since his new book is out [which I refuse to hyperlink because I love you] there's a lot of J.O. talk going on. Many well intentioned people get excited because his ministry is going so well and his messages sound so pragmatic. It is my belief that every American Christian should familiarize themselves with the fallacies of his teachings because they are not Biblical, nor are they the message of Jesus. So here's some places to get more info:

  1. The 60 Minutes video from Sunday.
  2. A reaction to this piece.
  3. More from the guy who criticized Osteen in the 60 Minutes piece.
  4. A review of his new book.
  5. Why Christian bookstores should refuse to sell his book.

That should be enough to get you started.

Comparative Chaos

Today I joined Professor Aaron Burgess [someone actually called him "Dr. Burgess" today] as he participated in a panel discussion on religion at the UC Raymond Walters campus. He was the Protestant representative, as there were a Buddhist, a Muslim, a Hindu, a Catholic priest, and a Reform Jewish rabbi present. The audience was a group of senior citizens who were participating in a community education program. The subject was, "Can science and religion coexist?" Aaron is a dedicated student of theology and philosophy and is incredibly articulate. He did an excellent job of presenting instances where both religion and science are fanatical and suggested a balanced approach between the two is necessary. As for all the other participants, I'm still not sure what they were saying. I'm not even sure they knew where their faiths stood on the issue. How anyone could've gleaned anything useful from this dialogue is beyond me. But at least Aaron and I had some good laughs about it.

Among the things I observed:

  • The elderly and cell phones: a scary combination. More phones rang there than would ever go off in a normal setting. Additionally, one of the older gentlemen on the panel even answered his phone in the middle of someone else's speech.
  • The elderly and the worldwide web: an even scarier combination. A person repeatedly made the following statement: "You can find all this information on my email." He meant the internet.
  • This dialogue confirmed to me that the mere presence of the Creation Museum hinders the conservative Christian position in our region. People assume that if you actually believe events in the Bible actually happened you agree with the AIG position.
  • A Jewish rabbi nodding in approval of a statement from a Muslim imam. Wish I had a camera phone.

But perhaps the most impressive statement was made by the priest who said, "honestly, I don't think there's such a thing as a fundamentalist Catholic."

Classic.

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What To Think About This:

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In light of my series on urban Cincinnati, I found this blog post interesting. This guy lives in near Washington Park in OTR, a place where many church groups come to pass out food. It's become so popular that the city actually banned groups from giving out freebies in the park, as 1) they usually leave a huge mess behind and 2) there are plenty of organizations/churches with whom they could partner to do this ministry. Of course, the groups chose instead to work around the letter of the law and now give out stuff on the sidewalks.

Makes you wonder (or at least me):

1. What kind of message does it send to people like Joe who live in the community everyday?

2. What kind of message does it send to the organizations/churches in the community who minister there everyday?

3. Who do these acts of "kindness" benefit more: the local community or the volunteers?

4. Am I being objective and accurate or a heartless SOB?

Or, maybe it's just me.

It's Back

After an almost three year hiatus the Holy Observer crew is back with all the fake Christian news worthy to print. If you're unfamiliar with the type of satire, notice such articles as "Mom achieves 100% VBS Coverage" and a news blurb about a Christian dating site shut down because a guy listed "Song of Solomon man seeks Ezekiel 23 woman" [funny considering you know the texts and that the guy confesses "I thought using Scripture was sure to get me a good woman"]. I thinks it funny.

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Weekend Recap

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Wednesday night is a little late to get this up, but we went non-stop last weekend enjoying two really cool events. The first was the Walnut Hills Festival. It resumed this year after a 15 year hiatus. It took place in the "rough part" of Walnut Hills but that didn't deter people from attending. Larry [good friend and our children's guy] and I helped out with odds and ends, running errands and managing the main stage. We received incredibly too much credit for little work. Talking with the lady who organized it, I think Echo will have a strong presence in helping out with it next year.

The second was my home church's 50-year anniversary. It was cool to reconnect with people that haven't seen me since I was a teenager [I think some were astonished that I found someone gullible enough to marry me]. I kept thinking what it will be like when Echo turns 50 but, then again, I might not be alive then.

This week isn't going to slow down, either. We have the Rett fundraiser Saturday and Echo's anniversary on Sunday.

We don't stop.

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The Church And The Poor

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Let's talk about something that people are uncomfortable talking about. This nature of this snippet in the Enquirer bothers me. The title of the article is "Panhandler Arrested In Church" which is sure to capture attention. Apparently this guy had done this a few times before, disrupting the service so he could hit-up parishioners. Since you can't forcibly remove someone without crossing some legal lines, the police was the last resort. Already there are people willing to jump on this church as being heartless and I'm sure there are more to come. It seems counterintuitive that a church would be so heartless as to call the authorities because a homeless guy wanted some money but some people have no idea what it's like being a church in the city.

Think about a similar situation: where else could an individual disrupt a gathering on multiple occasions and face no consequences? Most likely, if he had done so during a meeting at a government building or a place of business, the person interrupting would be arrested on the spot. But when it comes to the church, we're supposed to suspend a worship gathering to pacify this request. Why? Because churches are supposed to "be like Jesus" and care for the poor. And when they're biligerant we should turn the other cheek and let the disruptive person have their way in our gatherings.

That sounds about right. And maybe they can dance naked in the aisles too. As we approach the completion of our second year of ministry in Walnut Hills I've can attest that virtually everyone that wants a handout feels it's the most important thing happening in the world at the time; many times they're insistent that their need should be resolved immediately, regardless of what you're doing. We've had people on multiple occasions try to interrupt our service, wanting to speak with me in the middle of preaching, so they could make their plea. We ask them to sit through our worship and we'll get to them when we're done. Granted, some are patient enough to wait but others get pissed because they want what they want now. So if someone in need will not respect this one stipulation we have, why do we have to succumb to them? Oh, because we're a church, and that's what Jesus would do.

I would argue that the primary purpose of a church is to worship the living God. One of the main expressions of this is our worship gathering. While we can also do this by ministering to the poor, that is not our only directive*. In fact, despite the theological positions of some, Scripture does not list the eradication of poverty as the primary purpose of the body of Christ. While we continually do our part to serve our community we still hold that we're to teach the embodiement of Jesus as the true release that people need. We have our priorities and those requesting assistance can at least respect them.

People outside the church are constantly wanting to expose the apparent hypocricies within it. And since there are always the needy among us this is an easy target. But those on the outside have no idea how volitile these situations are.

We had this guy who was constantly looking for handouts come to our church. We did our best to help him out but sometimes said no because we knew he was an addict. A two separate occasions we caught him attempting to steal from the church we rent yet didn't call the police. One night he was particularly insistent when we told him he wouldn't get any money and he decided to steal money from the offering box. Again, we didn't call the police and tried to "restore him Biblically" but we really didn't see him much more. Apparently he got caught stealing [for the umteenth time] and is still in the county lock-up.

In the long run, did we help him out or not? Tough call but it's not ours to make. We'll use our best judgement to help when and where we can but there's no hard/fast rule. But we will not allow someone to manipulate us into making themselves priority number one. We will always reserve the right to say no. And if you've never said no, then you really have no room to criticize.

This is a part of life living in the city. We do our best but understand that an unlimited supply of handouts still would not solve the problems that people face and/or create.

Until you're ministering in the city and experience the week-to-week struggle, you should probably reserve judgement on the matter.

*There are plenty of social service agencies whose main purpose is assist the poor; there are hundreds in Walnut Hills alone. Despite this fact, there is still a problem with people in need. One of the driving reasons in our community is that there are people manipulating the system. They can get government assistance on which to make it by and anything they can panhandle can go to purchase of non-government subsidized purchases [i.e., alcohol]. We do not use this as an excuse not to help, but it's a situation that needs to be recognized. At Echo we try to be deliberate between situations because constantly giving hand-outs to people who are disingenuous is actually more harmful than helpful.

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We Fail

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I've been on the edge today and it's not a post-vacation slump. I've yelled at Kelly numerous times today [sorry, babe]. I tried a little humor in the previous post to see if I could laugh myself out of a funk; it hasn't quite worked. I even cursed at a printer; it still refused to respond. I'm still wrestling with some emotions.Another Christian friend of mine is in trouble. This time it was self-induced. This time they did what they're accused of. And I never saw it coming.

It's crazy that, despite thinking I can read people well, I get blindsided by something they do.

Here's the deal, friends of faith: it's all about where your beliefs lie. If you trust in Christian leaders more than God, you'll be disappointed eventually. I want to be a good pastor and model Jesus perfectly. But despite my best efforts, I fail. That doesn't mean I give up on trying, but the people I minister to need a greater example than I could ever be.

And they have one in Jesus. And that's why He's the focus of all we teach: we fail, He doesn't.

There Is A Difference . . .

. . . in high-speed internet service. Today we switched back over to Time Warner after a year with Cincinnati Bell. I had no idea what we've been missing. Within two minutes I could tell that the speed was remarkably better with TWC. Plus, Zoomtown has been messing with outgoing emails [using Mac Mail, I had to go through their SMTP], bouncing back emails to AOL addresses. It's nice to get things back to maximum operating speed. Also, we gave up the home phone line [again], going strictly cell phones. And it only took half an hour to get everything changed. So that's cool.

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Fast

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Besides tricking people into becoming Christians, one of the things we do at Echo is study books of the Bible chapter-by-chapter. This approach to teaching means that you deal with the text as it comes to you; there's no hand-picking certain topics while avoiding others. Case in point was this week as we worked through Zechariah and the subject of fasting presented itself. If I had it my way, I'd avoid the subject altogether because I'm not much for fasting. But I had to wrestle with it last week and came to the conclusion that I should really be doing it more. Actually, we all should do it more.

I suspect that we Americans tend not to fast because it's the most inconvenient spiritual discipline. We're bombarded with messages telling us to fulfill our bodies' every desires without holding back. In 1756 England called for a national day of fasting to prevent a war against the French. Can't really imagine a message like that going over that well today.

I pointed out last night that fasting isn't exclusive to Judeo-Christianity [Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus all fast]. That said, the Scriptures are clear [Zechariah 7] that fasting should be done in obedience to God above everything else. The text is testifying that when we observe spiritual disciplines that don't confirm to the Lord's guidance that they're actually meaningless. In fasting we're forced to examine what really controls us. I had someone remark to me last night that they don't like fasting because of that very fact: it causes them to come face-to-face with actual condition. But when we're exposed in such a way, we have to come to grips with our spiritual condition.

I encouraged our people to perhaps try some sort off fasting this week. I realize that some people are unable to for health reasons, but there are always opportunities for experimentation. You can observe a Lenten-like period where you abstain from a certain food or activity. And when you're without, and the urges begin to seize you, you remember why you're doing what you're doing and devote yourself to prayer. It sounds tougher than it is. Maybe you should give it a try as well.

The teaching [entitled, The Fast and The Furious: Babylonian Drift] will be up this week on iTunes for download if you're interested in more on the topic.

Wiccan Preacher

Yesterday morning I spoke at Cornerstone Christian Church outside of Harrison, Ohio. I noticed that they use the same NIV pew Bibles that we do at Echo. We're in a series on Zechariah at Echo and, since I put the page numbers on our slides, I remembered Zechariah 1 started on page 669. My text yesterday was Daniel 1 so I told them to open up to page 627, just guessing that would be about where it was. I told them that if I nailed the page number we would dismiss church then and there.

The correct page was 625. Close, but no cigar.

Poor folks then had to endure the rest of my message.

Echo Church: The UN-Church

At least according to the pope. Does it bother me that the Pope felt the need to reiterate that the rest of us are just faking it because the RC Church is the only true church?

Not really.

If I were him, I'd be more concerned about taking care of things on the home-front. Recently, a trend has emerged of Protestants converting to Catholicism. But I highly doubt that these people, who are perhaps seeking more liturgy and tradition from their church, intend on fully submitting to Rome. Additionally, I know many Catholics who strongly oppose the Church's teachings. This is where the RC Church is losing its footing.

I find it interesting that in the same document, the Pope desires to revive the old Latin mass. Vatican 2 permitted it to be translated into the native tongue but Benedict states that doesn't mean the Latin should be abolished. Not quite sure if that will affect local parishes, however, it's rather fascinating.

Regardless, we'll still have church [or whatever you prefer to call it] this Sunday night at 6:30.

Even Worse Almighty

A few days ago I wrote about the aggressive marketing campaign the producers of the movie Evan Almighty has targeted at churches. What still bothers me about this is that the film itself is decent enough to stand on its own merits. But they pushed hard, nonetheless, to try to recoup the $250million they dropped into production and marketing. Something must have worked, as it was the #1 movie last weekend, but I think the results were still a little disappointing. To keep the movie fresh in churches' minds they sent out an advertising email this week. I was privy to be a recipient and found some of it laughable. Here's the main part of the email:

If you didn't know, the producers took advantage of an idea that Steve Sjogren made popular among evangelical churches and encouraged random acts of kindness [actually, they reworked it to fit into the "ARK" acronym, calling them "acts of random kindness"]. Notice how they use this to push the movie:

If you haven't yet seen Evan Almighty, then do an act of random kindness for yourself and your congregation . . . go see Evan Almighty today!

Ex-squeeze me? Baking powder? What did they just say?

So in this new age of church/movie cross promotion we encourage good deeds: give out water bottles, feed the poor, visit the elderly, stuff like that. But an even greater act of kindness would be to go watch a movie. Incredibly selfless ministry. I've been ministering this way since I was but a lad [by this standard, I'd say watching Mr Wrong was akin to a missions trip]. As a Biblical scholar I can vouch that somewhere in the Scriptures a commandment reads, "Be ye kind: consumeth."

Also, if I plan on going to a movie after an email prompt, is it really "random"? Just wondering.

And how does this random act benefit my congregation? Does it help them to know that their pastor had the opportunity to go to the movies this week? Is there a correlation between my popcorn consumption and tithing?

I have yet to receive my random act of kindness reminder to go see the new Die Hard movie. Still I think I'll go.

Remember, I'm doing it for my church.

Speak The Truth

I guess this post could be a follow up to my disclaimer, but I felt like writing this. I'm reminded of the episode of Friends where Phoebe is singing her songs to a bunch of young children at the library. Her songs are little too revealing for her little listeners which frightens their parents [here's an example]. After being banned from the library the kids seek her out at the coffee shop wanting to hear "the singing lady that tells the truth" Moral of the story: kids appreciate when you're honest about the realities in the world. I've discovered that while many people are just like those kids, there are some who would prefer to still hear innocuous, happy, childish songs that make you smile without making you think about the life.

I guess I'm trying to work this metaphor to introduce this idea: there's a prevailing [yet erroneous] thought that if you, as a Christian, criticize someone another Christian then you're not being Christ-like at all. This is balderdash [been wanting to use that word and even worked it into my sermon Sunday]. Just because we all like Jesus doesn't mean you get a free pass when you do/say something that's questionable. I would expect the very same treatment from others concerning my dumb moves/words. and have received it. That's why, despite a few problems, I still leave commenting open here on the blog; it gives you a chance to chime in and disagree.*

I say this to explain stuff you have read and will read here at Beit Carr that you think is divisive. I'm not trying to be mean, but I'll attack ideas that deserve criticism. Politeness is a Western value or, perhaps more accurately, a value among those nations that speak English; it is not necessarily a Biblical value. Other societies can engage in spirited dialogue, agree to disagree, and let it go at the end of the day. Maybe if we Americans learned to do that a little better no one would watch Fox News.

So thanks for taking the time to read stuff from "the blogging man that tells the truth." Or at least "tries to tell the truth."

*I do, however, find commenting back and forth to be an exercise far more exhausting than blogging. So if I ever stop following up a conversation here, it's probably not that I've given up my thoughts but more likely that I'm tired of the exchange. If you really disagree with me to the point of online arguing, I'd suggest starting a blog of your own. It's much fun.

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We Are Whores

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Finally Evan Almighty comes out today and hopefully this will mean the end of the tidal wave of Christian-oriented advertising. From free screenings for pastors to service project tie-ins to free downloads of video clips for sermons, they've gone all out for this one. For some reason this makes me feel even more icky than Passion of the Christ campaign. What this has proven is that we Christians will bite hook, line, and sinker when someone trying to make a buck comes calling. Note Christianity Today, a popular evangelical magazine, which chose to sell the cover of their magazine as advertising for the movie. Sure, they used small letters in the upper right corner to label it "advertising" [noble move] but how many people will be duped into thinking it's a ringing endorsement of the movie?

It'll be interesting to see how much Evan Almighty grosses as a result of all this. Since The Passion, this direct-to-the-church marketing hasn't been successful. But The Passion was somewhat revolutionary; it was Mel Gibson [who had a better reputation then], with the Passion narrative, attempting to market to an overlooked segment of the population. Since then, Hollywood got lazy, thinking they could throw anything out there, tell Christians it's wholesome, and see a return. They paid a price for that lethargy as movies like Bobby Jones and The Nativity Story failed.

Evan Almighty is the hardest they've tried thus far. If this works, we're going to witness an onslaught of this kind of marketing.

So answer the question: is it better to get wholesome entertainment at the price of prostituting ourselves or to have to endure the same old depraved crap Hollywood puts out that Christians will refuse to see? OR, do we just have to be selective about what we watch and not allow Hollywood to view Christians as a marketing demographic.

Something to chew on.