I was thinking this weekend about Christianity and why our witnesses are not so affective any more. There are multiple ways to improve our delivery and even [...]]]> We have a fascination with shiny cars and making them shine brighter and sound better. I assume that I am not the only crow who likes a shiny object!

I was thinking this weekend about Christianity and why our witnesses are not so affective any more. There are multiple ways to improve our delivery and even some IPhone applications to provide a map of how to take a person through the gospel. How can we mess this up?

Well, it occurred to me that we are shining up our Cadillacs and making them sound better. I/we spend a good deal of time learning the right presentations and the best words to use to present the Gospel to the world.  Whether it is a seminar or the preacher on Sunday, I am getting better at presenting the gospel. I can pretty much take you through the salvation message and then present your opportunity to accept Christ… Yet it has only worked on occasion.

The most affective I have ever been at presenting the Gospel was by simple being who I am. An old rusty pickup truck which backfires (swears) every now and again and that has somewhat balding tires. We as a people understand old and rusty. You can lean against it and even ride in it when your dusty and dirty without much worry. It is just comfortable.

Think about it… who would you call if you needed help moving something that was sure to at least involve a scratch or two. The guy with the new truck or the old one. What are you comfortable with? Shiny is good to look at, but old and rusty is useful.

Which type of Christianity are you driving around?

There are many slippery slopes to slide down, [...]]]> I need to sin… What happened to the friend who would put a foot in our ass when we started going the wrong way? I think we often get headed in the wrong direction without realizing it, and I really rely upon my friends to let me know.

There are many slippery slopes to slide down, and in today’s society of “live and let live” we need friends and mentors with the will power to step up and lend a foot or hand, depending. I have been the recipient and the dispenser of this type of action, and I do realize it is often embarrassing to be on either end… but it is needed.

Others may disagree, but I love to be around crotchety old men who tell it like it is. I need these people. They are becoming more of a oddity than the norm and that is sad.

If someone can’t say to you that you are being stupid or that you are doing something wrong without taking offense before you consider if it is true, then you should pause and think about it. An old man once said to me, “There is a bit of truth in every correction whether you like the person saying it or not. It just depends on whether you can put aside your feelings and dig for it.”

On the comments of one of my previous blogs a comment rang true with this sentiment… “its funny how people mince, mix and spin words – me included – in order to defend actions they know are far from Christ-like. Sounds like “if it feels good then do it” allows folks to continue to do it rather then examine what they are doing and perhaps just simply stop doing it.” That comment was directed at me and he was right… partially…I dug for it.

So if you are watching a friend walk in a direction they shouldn’t, then speak up. And if not now, then later. They will appreciate it. It may be a lot later, but that is fine.

Often this question occurs after I witness something that is out of the ordinary, [...]]]> What is acceptable? I often look around at the actions of friends and strangers alike around me. Often it is their kids that I am watching, but whichever it is I often ask myself this question…what makes them think that is ok?

Often this question occurs after I witness something that is out of the ordinary, at least in my world, and everyone’s reaction, including the parents, is often to just laugh it off or ignore it. I am talking about something that is considered rude such as a child hitting either you or another person in crotch or a child hitting their mother because they are mad. Of course there is also that language that some children use in the regards to their parents or other adults that tends to get my attention.

I have often wondered how we arrived at the point where we no longer bother to give instruction or correction to our children or the children of our friends. The only time you really see someone giving guidance to another persons child or one of their family is when they are a grandparent. It is actually accepted by most of us that older people are expected to speak up and make corrections. I actually enjoy this most of the time.

How often do you see an older person being spoken to rudely by children or being hit by them? I would wager to say it is not very often. Why is that? Because as parents we would be apalled to have our child do something like that. It breaks all the rules of respect that we as adults know. It is almost like the holy grail of etiquette blunders.

How did we come about this knowledge about how to treat our elders? They taught us how we were supposed to act when we were children. I knew as a child that to mistreat an adult would bring the verbal and physical wrath of my father and it was to be feared. And heaven forbid I was to do this inside a store with my mother…talk about a humiliating experience. It was instant correction and it was in front of everyone.

My parents took the time to teach me the wrongs and rights of life. One of the most important things I learned in life was my place in the family. I was a child and I knew it. Not because I was disregarded but because my parents knew what were proper actions and language in regards to other adults and they told me what the rules were.

When I failed to live up to these standards I knew it and so did everyone around me. Discipline was on the spot and it usually included an apology on my part and it was often a tearful one. Embarrassment is a strong tool and quite effective when it comes to kids. I don’t know if my parents were embarrassed when the corrected me but I am pretty sure they didn’t care that much about how it looked.

I guess one of my questions is who lowered the standards? At what point did the higher standards of parenting become passe and we started to look the other way so much of the time? While good parenting often includes the words “I love you” and “you’re great” it should also include the words “no”, “stop that”, and “that is not acceptable”.

Think about this…

If you say “no” and your child asks you why can you answer them?

If you say “stop that” and your child asks you why can answer them?

If you say “that is not acceptable” and your child asks you why can you answer them?

Can you take those questions as teaching moments and give a valid answer? There are a lot of moments to teach your children when these questions come up. Are you in the habit of saying no, stop that, and that is not acceptable to yourself? Self indulgence is a trait we can pass along to our children.

Start practicing on yourself and when it comes time to answer your child’s question of why you will be familiar with the reason and be able to articulate it to them what you believe and have accepted in your life.

Oh yeah and next time your child acts up in public the truth is everyone IS watching you to see if you can parent. Do yourself a favor and give us something to cheer about. On the occasions that I have seen a parent successfully embarrass/correct their children with words are even a good swat to the hind end I have said “damn right” under my breath…

Week after week I sit in the pew/chair at my church and listen [...]]]> What happened to the day when the preacher would kick the crap out of you on Sunday morning? Hellfire and brimstone would rain from the heavens directly into the pew burning our conscious to ashes. Oh how I miss the good old days.

Week after week I sit in the pew/chair at my church and listen to how God made me to be happy and how I have all this power on tap for when I need it. How when struggles come I just need to call on God and He will answer. Need money just pray. Need happiness just pray. Need healing just pray. Sounds like a bumper sticker doesn’t it?

How come preachers are often unwilling to stand in the pulpit and correct us? I don’t mean the good intentioned you should “try” to correct this path. I mean the ‘you are going to hell if you continue this path’ stuff. Of course those of you who think that ‘once saved always saved’ is written is stone would crap your pants if he said that and then leave the church but honestly I miss it.

I could often use a swift kick in the pants in relation to my salvation. I become stagnant or just lazy at times in my pursuit of God and maybe a good old “stop doing that crap” from my preacher would help get the waters moving again. Am I the only one who doesn’t believe everyone in church is going to heaven?

It took me the longest time to figure out that the majority of people are just hoping that Matthew 7:22-23 ‘On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ does not apply to them.

So often I think of this scripture not out of fear but out of intrigue. I don’t think of myself as a holy person and I certainly have not prophesied or cast any demons out (see my earlier blog) which in the majority of peoples opinions is reaching the pinnacle of possessing God’s power. At some point the Holy Spirit helped me with this scripture and a few other ones to realize that yes I am going to sin and yes I am going to fail, sometime miserably but as long as I pursue God for relationship then I will not have to worry about the above scripture.

Anyway… back to the main point… how many people know of these verses and the dim picture they project? Even more so who wants someone to preach on these verses? I do! If you look at the exodus from the modern church you have to realize that not everyone is buying the happy train story that is being pitched to us. Someone has to be there to tell us the stove is hot or that having a BB gun war is stupid. Someone has to tell us and it may as well be the preacher.

So Preacher, get on with it, make me feel better some other time. I just want to have some direction on what I am not supposed to do and not on what I am gifted to do…