Monthly Archives:

November 2012

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Christmas trees, for Christians only

My friends over at the Unvirtuous Abbey (read my interview with them) posting this very interesting picture:

xmastrees

I’m thinking that this cannot be real. It has to be a joke. It has to be photoshopped. I posted this on Facebook and it immediately drew laughs and a few disapproving comments.One commenter said he would not be able to buy one since he doesn’t carry his baptism certificate on him.

The crazy part is that there are Christians out there who think a Christmas tree is quintessentially Christian. Christmas trees, or more specially, the bringing in evergreen or an evergreen tree, comes from pre-Christian pagan practices. Germanic tribes would often observe the transition into winter using a Yule log or so type of tree.

So, is this a hoax or a real picture? Anyone have any info?

Two and a Half Men

‘Two and a Half Men’ star finds Jesus, says don’t watch

Usually when child actors lose their cute appeal, they become the butt of celebrity jokes. Not for an actor who became a Christian and is now telling viewers not to watch his show

Angus T. Jones, the “half” of the TV sitcom Two-and-a-Half Men, calls his show “filth”. Angus has been an actor on the show for almost 10 years and has starred with Charlie Sheen (and now Ashton Kutcher) and John Cryer.

Angus started attending a Seventh-day Adventist Church in Los Angeles. He realized his life needed to change and his work on the show was not godly. He shares his views in a video posted on YouTube:

I’m on Two and a Half Men and I don’t want to be on it. Please stop watching it. Please stop filling your head with filth…People say it’s just entertainment… Do some research on the effects of television in your brain and I promise you, you’ll have a decision to make when it comes to … what you watch on television. It’s bad news.

Here is the full video testimony:

Continue Reading…

Cyber Monday, social media

Cyber Monday and the Church

small church
Back in 2005, a group of retailers wanted to find a way to cash in on consumer’s desire to find deals around Thanksgiving. So, a trade group created Cyber Monday as an unofficial day to offering discounts during the Christmas season. Now, it seems that just about every week there is some sort of internet deal for TV’s, computers, or cameras.

As millions of Americans are searching for great deals on this Cyber Monday, do churches have an opportunity to reach all of that internet traffic? Social media continues to contribute more and more online content, churches should think about ways in which they can engage those who are on the internet today.

One of the ways to engage the marketing of Christmas and the holidays, is to consider:

“Are all those deals worth it? The searches online. The lines in the stores? Searching day and night for the best deal on a sweater that will be gone in a year?”

At The First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa, we are engaging the Advent Conspiracy. The Advent Conspiracy is a movement that was started a few years ago by some pastors who wanted rethink the Christmas season and the commercialization behind it:

Continue Reading…

social media

The edgy Christian media startup you need to check out

More and more, Christian media outfits try to create their own social media platforms to get noticed. However, a new edgy social media startup, “Sogo” is taking a different route on social media to get their message out.

Sogo describes itself as: Sogo Media Tv – a new kind of Christian television network that uses the exploding platform of YouTube to distribute exclusive videos from an impressive collective of progressive Christian voices, as well as curates the religion and spirituality niche on YouTube. Founded in 2012, Sogo is short for “social Gospel,” a play on words that also refers to “social media + Gospel message.”

If you have ever been on GodTube or FaithVillage, you know those are specially Christian websites for Christians to share Christian content. Many Christian social media platforms want to create their brand of Christian media because of concerns of secular culture’s negative affects on social media. Sogo doesn’t seem interested in creating an alternate platform for its content, but rather desires to use the existing and popular YouTube instead.

Brian McLaren, who was one of TIME magazine’s “25 Most Influential Evangelicals”, agreed to be a contributor. McLaren lauded the new startup, Continue Reading…

Evangelicals

How Evangelicals can lead the way now

After the 2012 elections, Franklin Graham stated on CNN that our nation is on a “path of destruction” due to the 2012 election results. In addition Graham said, “If we are allowed to go down this road in the path that this president wants us to go down, I think it will be to our peril end to the destruction of this nation.”

This is troubling talk from one of the most powerful Evangelicals. Millions of Christians regularly take Graham’s lead on matters of politics and moral issues.

This is not the way to lead Christians to reach out and bring about the Kingdom of God. Let me explain.

Graham’s comments on CNN were noble, but there is a better way to change the future of America. His ministry organizations actively block movements in states that try to legalize same sex marriage, fight for prayer to return to schools, and encourage legislation that forbids abortions. Graham’s ministry and organizations regularly court politicians to enact his biblical interpretation on certain issues as civil law. By doing this, Graham only alienates the very people we Christians are trying to reach.

Franklin Graham and I are fellow ministers, evangelicals, and preachers of the Gospel. I thank Graham for his service to our nation and to other nations around the world. His relief organizations continuing give aid to developing nations. I support a number of these organizations. Graham’s heart is for God’s and I commend him for that. He wants to see the world and our nation to come to know Jesus Christ. I agree. Graham wants for Christians to carry out the message of the Bible. I agree. He wants the world to know God. I agree.

However, Graham and I disagree about how to go about making these common Kingdom goals realities. The only way to turn others to Christ is not through our political process, but through a Kingdom Process.

Jesus did not come to lobby Rome, Paul didn’t appeal to political leaders in Athens, and Peter didn’t hold political fundraisers for kings. Christian leaders in the New Testament did not use a political system as a means to achieve moral and societal change. Instead, they ate, sat, discussed, lived, and created space for their detractors. They didn’t alienate those who they were preaching to with hateful speech or disdain.  People loved Jesus because he was the only rabbi that would give them to time of day and listen to them.

Tom McCrossan, another fellow minister, and life long Republican to add, provided a helpful perspective of what is occurring with Christians who want change through politics:

Continue Reading…

Christianity

How not to vote on Election Day

Alas, my Facebook and Twitter feeds are blowing up with political jabs that mostly rely on ad-hominem attacks that play into people’s confirmation bias of a candidate.

No candidate is immune from a little ad-hominem attack against their opponent. Unfortunately, some voters like and even enjoy when Facebook posts, media stories, or social pictures vilify a political candidate. And unfortunately, some of these voters call themselves Christians who create or share these messages. Some Christians think they are doing their duty to pass along these ugly messages.

It is really disheartening to see such poor treatment of those who differ in political ideology. My perspective on this election is not about me telling you who you should vote for, but how not to vote: Continue Reading…

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