I have just accepted a call to a church in San Antonio. This blog will be on vacation until further notice.
Archive for July, 2008
Apologizing for the sins of our Fathers and Mothers,etc etc
In Groundlevel Theology on July 13, 2008 at 2:17 pmI was raised in the deep south of Louisiana and I remember the racial tensions up until the seventies and eighties and I know it is still somewhat there today. Recently, the noose incident and racial violence was the story in Jena, Louisiana. I remember my good friend Calvin who was an italian from New Jersey being picked on and called “wetback” because they thought he looked like a mexican or the racist slang term “Wop” for Italian.
Maybe this has changed some and I’m in “Liberal” Austin where there is not much open racism but I get flooded with e-mails from relatives about Obama which has a “racist” slant to them. Racism has always bother me and I don’t understand people that think because they did not paticipate in it that it is not their problem. It is like saying in the time of the Halocaust that because you did not participate in the killing of the jews then why bother or speak out against it.
This is what I don’t understand and this is coming from my family geneaology:
1. Why was my Father and Mother silent during the heydey of the Civil Right struggles of the 50s and 60s when it was obvious that blacks were being treated as inferior and less human?
2. Were my grandparents and great grandparents involve in aiding this racism?
I hear the cries of others why am I responsible for what my forefathers did or what my relatives think? Maybe you are not responsible but you should be damn mad about it.
Modern day but same old heresies
In Weblog on July 8, 2008 at 12:09 amI know its not popular to talk about heresies but here are some evident today in Christendom:
1. Prosperity Gospel-God wants you rich and happy
2.Megachurch Growth movement-Its all about purpose driven numbers and how to get them. God only moves in big hip churches because of what we have done. Thank you Pelagius!
3.Pastor as Celebrity, guru or cult- Turn on TBN or your local Christian bookstore. He’s a motivational speaker-healer-politician or more. This can happen to leaders in the emergent movement or missional movement as well.
4. We are relevant or more spiritual than the organized church- Well Yes theres some truth there(hypocrites abound in churches) but this can lead to self-righteousness and throwing the Baby out with the bathwater.
5. John Shelby Spong- nuff said. If you don’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus please do not call yourself a Christian.
