"Christian" is not an adjective!

One of my pet peeves is the use of the word "Christian" as an adjective; i.e., Christian business, Christian radio, Christian movie, etc . . . . used to describe a person or a group of people is a little closer to acceptable, such as Christian author or Christian band, because Jesus did not die to redeem your business or your radio station, he came to redeem you and me. "Christian" is a noun, a person, not a descriptor for an inanimate object.

I understand the need for shorthand at times, and certainly fall into it myself, but I think it's something we should be cognizant of and make sure we're using the word properly.

Pat Roberston said what???

Yeah, I guess I decided to re-activate this blog just in time. Formerly relevant televangelist Pat Roberston has called for the assassination of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

{shakes head in shame and disappointment}

I was in Virginia in 1988, and I remember clearly when he was at his peak. This latest pronouncement is actually quite surprising, considering Robertson has been involved in politics all of his life; his father was a US Senator, after all. He should know better -- I just don't get this one.

Boy have I missed you!

It has been right at 13 months since I last posted here, but I am ready to pick up the habit again. Check out the archives for what I usually write about: pop Christianity, music, movies, and books, musings on my faith, and any other place where God intersects with the real world.

The Democratization of the Spirit

I think that many of the adjustments that God makes in dealing with people in the Old Testament and New Testament is the role of the Holy Spirit. At the crucifixion, the veil was ripped open and at that point the Spirit became available for all men. This is a radical departure from the role of Spirit in the Old Testament. In the OT, the Spirit rested on only a few people at a time, and these people (usually designated "prophets") had authority in the body. In the Church Age, the Spirit is available to all who follow Christ, regardless of their ability, holiness, or calling. It is easy -- and tempting -- to pay attention to those in whom the Spirit is obvious, and follow their teachings and leadership. But that is not the model of New Testament leadership.

Figuring It Out

It is the classic conundrum of Bible study. I want to strive to understand the Word of God, but I do not want to actually understand it. I have always been comfortable with my inability to grasp the intricate details of doctrinal issues. If I can understand God, then he wouldn't be worth my worship, would he? The key is the striving, not in the understanding.

Book review: Glimpsing Mary

From Beverly Roberts Gaventa book "Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus." Gaventa is one of the few protestant women who has studied Mary. I love Mary, and found this book enlightening.Referring to the 4 women in the genealogy of Jesus: "None of them fits in with the way things are "supposed" to be. Each of the women is presented as threatening the status quo in some way . . . each is also part of the divine plan."Key traits that Mary presents inthe Gospels: vulnerability, reflection, and witness. "What he have in these glimpses of MAry are some important aspects of what it means to be a disciple of Christ: living with vulnerability, reflecting with care on the advent of Jesus Christ, and witnessing God's actions in the world. In that sense, Mary remains a model for all Christians."

Book Review: Bleah

The Heart Reader, by Anonymous. This is a typical evangelical novel (read "not very good"), by an author who has has written "several CBA bestsellers" and who is donating the royalties for this work to charity. The slim volume is an attempt to show us how to be evangelical, by listening to God's voice and hearing what He is saying to us about those around us, and about their needs. The portrayal of the heart of the Father is the strongest aspect of this work, but the portrayals of the characters are below average. It would not be so bad a book if the author put his or her name to it; a book presented anonymously has to not just meet the minimum standards, but far and away surpass them. This work does not.

Music Update: Soul-Junk

A tremendous site for a tremendous act. Soul-Junk plays a unique (not unusual, not rare, but actually unique) musical style, a bizarre conglomeration of sounds. Most of their songs put Scripture to this odd music, and the combination is striking -- and sometimes cacophanous. They occassionally play festivals, but mostly stick around SoCal. The site includes dozens of the band's MP3s, as well as numerous works of art. Check it out.

I Have Got To Visit Here Some Day

I have mentioned before by love for Mary, the Mother of our Lord, a stance with puts me on the outs among my Protestant friends. But nonetheless, I ran across a notation recently of a place I need to get sometime. And it is even not to far away from me. The Marian library at the University of Dayton hold over 85,000 books and pamphlets. I would like to study and read and reflect and maybe even write about Mary more in depth one day, and if I ever do, this is a reosurce worth remembering.

Book Review: A sequel

The Fifth Man, by Randall Ingermanson and John B. Olson. This is the sequel to a novel reviewed on this page a few entries ago. Not as prescient or eerie as the first novel, this one just angered me throughout. The first book ended with a hokey marriage proposal, a situation that was not addressed until a quarter through this one. The first book had a death that was not really a death, and this book had one, too, then a death that really was a death. What a pointless little emotional yo-yo that was. Then I had the misfortune of finding out that the book had been nominated for a Christy Award, the highest honor in Christian book-selling. That made me angry. This was a thoroughly unsatisfying book, and certainly unworthy of an awards. Aaarrrggghhh!