You can just pass over this entry if you’re not interested in reading more about the course of “the church” in America/the world today.
I received a newsletter from this morning from Sojourners – I read for info. I had just been reading a couple of articles at Slice of Laodicea and some by Ken Silva regarding the most recent from Rick Warren and, among other things, his relationship with Rupert Murdock (now there’s a purpose driven guy! and it’s not church, believe me. It’s spiritual, though, of the darkest kind: money/porn/power).
But back to that Sojourners letter. It reminds me of another vending machine church life/growth formula that I wrote about a year or so ago (March 2 entry in that blog).
So you can become a member of the congregational network. All ya gotta do is pop down $69.95 (slick, no?) and get yourself a membership that entitles you to the tools you’ve been missing all this time in order to be-all_______, do-all_______, end-all_______. If your “pastor” (or church) gets one of these memberships, he can just download Sunday’s sermon on his way to the building and present a message that’s TNT for the congregation. I’m guessing that it’ll either be tnt: dynamite or tried ‘n true.
Social Justice. Sounds biblical… right? O c’mon, it’s gotta be in there somewhere… well, if you don’t find Social Justice in your Bible, wait a little bit and maybe one of them will write you up a Bible to fit their cause. Bibles written to fit the culture? truly it’s already happening. Pick up “The Message” or “The New Living…”and then compare them (pick a verse, pick a passage) to the NEB or the KJV and you’ll see it.
Sojourners/Call to Renewal is excited to announce a BRAND-NEW congregational network to help local churches move faith into action.
[*] Because you’ve been a friend and supporter, we’re inviting you to become a charter member of Faith & Justice Churches: A Congregational Network.
Faith & Justice Churches equips leaders with resources and offers a gathering place for sharing ideas and organizing on social justice issues.
An annual charter membership in Faith & Justice Churches includes:
- Weekly sermon prep materials
- Sermons on social justice themes
- Ready-to-use, small-group study resources
- Organizing toolkits
- Downloadable bulletin inserts on current issues
- Subscription to Sojourners magazine, including 15 years of archived content
- Discussion boards
- Exclusive commentary from Jim Wallis and Sojourners/Call to Renewal staff
- And much more …
Faith & Justice Churches provides local church leaders – pastors, lay leaders, church officers, and Sunday school teachers – with resources for prophetic advocacy.
* – I am not, btw.
So… now, your church can be a Follow the Leader Faith & Justice New Age Purpose Driven Conversational Church. Or… you could just follow the LORD, read the Bible and obey it.
Sis. Pamela, I stumbled upon your site recently and have been blessed.
I am led to post some of your articles on my site, hoping that many others will be blessed as well. God bless!
Keri~
I’m totally with you —with the LORD. I wrote that entry up today and kept marveling at the spiral of the church (in general, not specific persons) and am sad tonight at the duping of the church by the enemy and the infiltration and influence of the world. It’s so pitiful. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Thank you for writing and for the blessing of your work, your home and your encouraging blog. I am looking at the flowering weeds in an entirely different way! ~smile~
Ummmmm…….I choose the second part, the follow the Lord and read the Bible part, KJV. Not much of a tossup there! 🙂
Blessings,
Keri