Community of the Risen

We just spent three hours in my “Adolescents Issues and Interventions” talking about death. It was an interesting class considering that her brother died in an drunk driving accident when she was 19. Nevertheless, it was a hard class. It was also very informative.

We just spent three hours in my “Adolescents Issues and Interventions” talking about death. It was an interesting class considering that her brother died in an drunk driving accident when she was 19. Nevertheless, it was a hard class. It was also very informative.

I just watched “Good night and Good Luck,” a movie about the red scare and McCarthism from the perspective of journalist Edward Murrow.  It was a very good movie but will probably not make much a dent in American media.  First I would suggest seeing Alan’s thoughts on the current administration.  Then I would suggest that all people everywhere begin getting involved in politics.  Not just settling for what has worked in the past or to simply say that the bad guy is always going to win. Instead, I would ask that people honestly consider what is right and try to live by it.  Murrow serves as a great example of someone who valued honesty and put their career on the line to save it. 

After reading Mike’s blog and thoughts from McLaren and Driscoll on homosexuality I really resounded with one of the responses from Derek Frenzel:

“The Pharisees spoke of the people Christ hung out with as “sinners.” Were they right? Of course, Jesus did hang out with sinners and he even addressed their sin from time to time. However, the Pharisees saw these people as sinners first and then by however else you would classify them. Why? Well, aside from being self-righteous, they probably didn’t want to take the time to get to know any of the “sinners.” It’s much harder to actually take part in someone’s life than lob statements at them from a mile away. For some (or at least maybe the more vocal ones in the media), not much has changed. And ironically, it’s the exact same thing that the world does with us. The world relegates Christians to t-shirts, protest signs, being judgemental and hypocritical, and what’s on TBN. We are viewed as a movement, a voting bloc, boycotters, fundies, and dumb, but definitely not individuals - and we complain how we are so persecuted and God is under attack in our nation, etc., while all the while we do the same to homosexuals. We view them as a block, or even “sinners” but definitely not as individuals. Now, there are definitely reasons for this (with the way gay rights groups are), but it doesn’t mean it’s right. Individuals have names, they have preferences, favorite music, thoughts, personalities, dreams, families, and character. How many Christians actually know a gay person? Next questions is how many Christians know anything about that person’s life? So let me get this straight, we want them to know all about our lives, beliefs, values, and don’t care to hear about theirs? THIS is what needs to change with the “Church” today. We know the Truth, it’s not going to change in five years. We won’t be able to dance around it, or package it up all nice- it will still “anguish” us. What we need to do is reevaluate our sense of Grace on an individual level. And not just simply by being nice to “sinners” and “gay people”. We need to take part in their lives as people. Become friends, not just acquaintences. Let them see the good work that we preach, fleshed out in our lives.”