I'm not an American Idol fan. In fact, I've never even seen an entire episode, but tonight after dinner some guys were here at the apartment, and the first part of the show came on as I was finishing in the dishes. I watched as the host recapped the previous evening's program: "Idol Gives Back." This was a charity program to raise funds for world relief work. Fair enough. If singing celebrities can incite fans to give 60 million plus dollars for world relief projects, praise be to God! But then something strange happened--they did--praise God, that is. The "final eight" Idol contestants sang "Shout the Lord." It was one of the most surreal moments I've seen on television. Eight aspiring pop singers with a black gospel choir singing one the most popular American evangelical worship songs on national television. I don't really have a category for that.
I tried to compute the cultural hermeneutical relationships and pastoral care implications ("there are probably a lot of people who are going to need counseling after watching that," I thought to myself). However, at the end of the day I think I am just stunned at how post-Christian our society has become in some spheres and yet how so many elements of a sort of "folk" or "cultural" Christianity remain. You can't pray in school and the Pledge of Allegiance probably shouldn't mention God, but don't worry the secularists have not yet won the day. God, or at least his cultural effigy, is alive and well on the set of American Idol.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Neither Poverty or Riches
I just got back from chapel here at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where today Dr. Craig Blomberg spoke about the importance of generous giving even as a seminary student. His message challenged me to consider how I could increase my financial generosity even as a student, and when I returned from chapel to check my e-mail, as if on queue, I had an e-mail from Avant, a missions sending organization, challenging people to consider increasing their giving to missionaries they support because of the of the weakening dollar.
Since the dollar has been dropping in value against the pound and the euro, the money that supporters send to missionaries in Europe and the UK no longer goes as far as it used. For those of us who support missionaries, this is something to consider. We ourselves are facing economic down turn in the United States; however, St. Paul is quick to remind us that the Macedonian Christians generously supported their brothers and sisters in Christ at Jerusalem even though they were facing hardship themselves (2 Cor 8:1ff). Consider the work of those who are spreading the gospel and give to them generously.
Since the dollar has been dropping in value against the pound and the euro, the money that supporters send to missionaries in Europe and the UK no longer goes as far as it used. For those of us who support missionaries, this is something to consider. We ourselves are facing economic down turn in the United States; however, St. Paul is quick to remind us that the Macedonian Christians generously supported their brothers and sisters in Christ at Jerusalem even though they were facing hardship themselves (2 Cor 8:1ff). Consider the work of those who are spreading the gospel and give to them generously.
Monday, April 7, 2008
New Balance LOVE/Hate Rain
It is hard to beat a good run even in the rain . . . i've never come back from a run and regretted it. i heart running.
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