May 2008 ElPasoFishNet column
(c) 2008 El Paso Scene
In a popularity contest, Christ beats Christians every time. That’s what I’ve learned browsing some recent research by various sources. One of the leading resources on church trends and religious attitudes is The Barna Group, which last fall reported that 16- to 29-year-olds are much more skeptical of Christianity than were their counterparts ten years ago. The term “Christian” increasingly is associated with intolerance, self-righteousness and other negative characteristics.
Yet even those who are skeptical of Christianity still hold its namesake in high regard. Barna’s research noted that a common attitude was “Christianity in today’s society no longer looks like Jesus.”
In fact, Jesus remains quite popular in every segment of American society.
In a panel discussion at Stanford University, Boston University religion professor Stephen Prothero pointed out the high esteem in which Jesus is held among adherents of different faiths.
Prothero is author of “American Jesus,” which he wrote after observing American Hindus who celebrated Christmas and hearing Buddhists refer to Jesus as a bodhisattva. He even noticed a painting of Jesus seated in a lotus position when visiting a Buddhist center. Muslims, and Jews rarely have anything bad to say about Jesus, he adds, and instead may elevate him to the status of major prophet and teacher.
Prothero calls the U.S. a “Jesus nation,” in which nearly everyone reveres Jesus — although each person seems to revere him in his or her own way.
So apparently lots of people hold a high opinion of Jesus but an increasing number of people, particularly the younger generation, hold a low opinion of the religion associated with him and its adherents.
One church in the Chicago area came up with a unique strategy to deal with the “I love Jesus, it’s the Christians I can’t stand” attitude. They developed a series of videos that mimicked the “I’m a PC, I’m a Mac” commercials. The characters in these videos (used as teaching tools at worship) looked remarkably like the two men in the Apple ads, but they identified themselves as “I’m a Christian” and “I’m a Christ-follower.” (Google “christian vs. christ-follower” to get all the links.)
The Christian is a King James-toting guy in a suit while the Christ-follower is a born-again slacker. The message is that you can dig Christ even if you don’t dig traditional Christians. Of course, the irony is that replacing one self-righteous attitude with another doesn’t show much spiritual maturity.
The evidence remains, however, that the term “Christian” has fallen into disrepute. The problem isn’t just how some people behave who call themselves “Christian.” Part of the problem is that Christians lost control of the word itself.
In the New Testament, the term is used only three times. The first reference is Acts 11:26, when it is mentioned that the church in Antioch was the first to be called Christians; this probably was a label that outsiders applied to “followers of The Way.” King Agrippa uses the term derisively in Acts 26:28. The only time the word is purposefully used to describe followers of the faith is I Peter 4:16 (“However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”)
While Christians willingly embraced that name for 2,000 years, it is still a word that the world uses as it wants to, whether it makes any theological sense or not. The word in fact has become rather useless because most of the time its meaning is quite removed from Christ himself.
If someone says, for example, “I consider myself a good Christian,” you can almost bet they aren’t. That’s because such a self-description usually means that the person thinks he or she follows the right rules or values most of the time — but doesn’t really think in term of following Christ. Likewise, someone who says the United States is or was a “Christian nation” simply means that it is (or was) guided by principles that stem from religious belief — but is not saying that Americans are by and large sincere disciples of Jesus.
In the Rome-governed world of the first century, calling yourself a Christian would have guaranteed sincere belief because it would have risked persecution, including torture and death. Twenty centuries later, it might risk ridicule because the world associates it more with hypocrisy than with sincerity.
That’s why the term has fallen into disfavor even in what might otherwise be called Christian circles. I first recall reading “Christ follower” as an alternative term in Gordon MacDonald’s 1991 book “Christ Followers in the Real World.” Since then, I’ve noticed it’s become increasingly more popular as a replacement for “Christian” among younger evangelicals. “Christ follower” focuses on who you believe in and an active response to that belief, while “Christian” focuses on yourself and sounds quite passive by comparison.
I was listening to a sermon recently in which the preacher used the term “Christ-like” and it struck me how much powerful that was an adjective, in the same way that “Christ follower” is more powerful as a noun. Describing someone as Christ-like means that person actually reflects qualities associated with Jesus.
By comparison, if someone calls you Christian that may just mean you remind them of other Christians. Wouldn’t you rather be told you remind them of Christ?
* * *
The ElPasoFishNet blog is up and running. If you hurry, you can be the first one to post your response on the blog! Just go to elpasofishnet.blogspot.com. Of course, you are also invited to write me directly at limbird@gmail.com.
Randy Limbird is editor
and publisher of El Paso Scene.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
April 2008 Column
April 2008 ElPasoFishnet column
(c) 2008 El Paso Scene
Thanks to my stepson, Will Summers, I’ve enjoyed two unique church experiences in the last two years. One was a Quaker meeting in Austin; the other was a small Mennonite church in Waco. If Will continues to move around the state, who knows how ecumenical I may become.
Both these congregations practiced what might be called “simple church.” Both met in non-traditional venues (the Quakers used a city recreation center; the Mennonites had adapted a house for church use). Both were small, with 30 to 35 adults attending.
Both of the services were simple in style. The Quakers had no music and met in silence for most of the meeting. The Mennonites worshipped with guitars and contemporary songs.
Both were participatory. The Quakers had no clergy and no sermon; some of those attending shared reflections after the time of silence. The Mennonites had a married couple as co-pastors; the teaching that morning was given by the woman co-pastor, punctuated by invitations for others to give their thoughts.
At Waco’s Hope Mennonite Fellowship, the service was entirely bilingual. The leader was completely fluent in both English and Spanish, and everything was translated into the other language.
The point of mentioning these two “simple churches” is precisely because not much is written about them. “Megachurches” get more press. Many of us have heard about churches whose attendance numbers reach 10,000 or more, whose pastors have become superstars, such as Bill Hybels, Rick Warren or Joel Osteen.
When we drive by a huge sanctuary, with a “church campus” that sprawls over acres and acres with facilities ranging from school buildings to a gymnasium, we often assume they must be doing something right. Our secular culture, after all, teaches that bigger is better and these values often spill over into the faith community.
The success of simple churches may be more substantial, but they are certainly less visible.
The term “simple church” came up while I was doing some web surfing on various alternative church movements, including “house churches.” House churches are typically small groups that meet at a home, acting as an independent church led by lay leadership (or with leadership responsibilities shared by all). Simple churches may be as large as 50 to 70 people, but typically have few if any paid staff and minimal overhead, meeting in non-traditional facilities. Almost all house churches are simple churches, but not the other way around.
House churches and simple churches should not be confused with start-up churches that are just going through a simple phase while hoping to grow bigger. Church “plants” often begin at a home or rented facility (often a school building) and are led by a founding pastor whose salary is subsidized by a denomination mission fund or outside employment.
The advantages of the simple church include greater intimacy among its members, a higher level of commitment (as opposed to the 80/20 principle common in most traditional churches: 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the members) and better stewardship of finances. With little if any money going to salaries and buildings, more giving is directed toward outside charity and ministry.
Many years ago, I read about an El Paso house church that was led by a retired pastor and whose members decided jointly where to give their money. That struck me as an ideal arrangement.
Of course, small size is no more a guarantee of spiritual health than row after row of packed pews. Small congregations can become just as self-centered and misdirected as any other church, and perhaps more easily so.
I’m not saying that big is bad, either. But one of my core Christian beliefs is that most of the important connections we make with other Christ-followers happen in small groups. A big church that effectively encourages small groups, particularly home groups, can have the best of both worlds. There are also many people who might never step foot in a traditional church who might come to some kind of alternative fellowship.
A newspaper friend and I had a recent conversation in which I asserted that daily newspapers and churches share a similar problem: A whole generation of people have grown up without the habit of reading the paper every day or going to church regularly. Fewer people subscribe to the paper, and fewer people attend church.
And just as the Internet and alternative publications (like this one) prove that people are still hungry for news, non-traditional forms of church can easily tap into a hunger for fellowship.
Among the issues facing anyone looking for a house church or simple church is where to find one. Larger, traditional churches have street-front visibility and may even advertise. Simple churches grow by word of mouth, often among fellow defectors from a traditional church.
There are networks (house2house.com, for example) for these congregations. But a search for El Paso connections came up empty.
If you’re involved with a house church or other form of “simple church,” I would love to hear from you. Send me a note at limbird@gmail.com. Warning: I assume that any emails sent to me are fair game for mentioning in this column or posting on my soon-to-be-ready website and blog. If you don’t want to be quoted, please say so in your message.
Randy Limbird is editor and publisher of El Paso Scene. ElPasoFishNet seeks to serve the
local community of Christ-followers.
(c) 2008 El Paso Scene
Thanks to my stepson, Will Summers, I’ve enjoyed two unique church experiences in the last two years. One was a Quaker meeting in Austin; the other was a small Mennonite church in Waco. If Will continues to move around the state, who knows how ecumenical I may become.
Both these congregations practiced what might be called “simple church.” Both met in non-traditional venues (the Quakers used a city recreation center; the Mennonites had adapted a house for church use). Both were small, with 30 to 35 adults attending.
Both of the services were simple in style. The Quakers had no music and met in silence for most of the meeting. The Mennonites worshipped with guitars and contemporary songs.
Both were participatory. The Quakers had no clergy and no sermon; some of those attending shared reflections after the time of silence. The Mennonites had a married couple as co-pastors; the teaching that morning was given by the woman co-pastor, punctuated by invitations for others to give their thoughts.
At Waco’s Hope Mennonite Fellowship, the service was entirely bilingual. The leader was completely fluent in both English and Spanish, and everything was translated into the other language.
The point of mentioning these two “simple churches” is precisely because not much is written about them. “Megachurches” get more press. Many of us have heard about churches whose attendance numbers reach 10,000 or more, whose pastors have become superstars, such as Bill Hybels, Rick Warren or Joel Osteen.
When we drive by a huge sanctuary, with a “church campus” that sprawls over acres and acres with facilities ranging from school buildings to a gymnasium, we often assume they must be doing something right. Our secular culture, after all, teaches that bigger is better and these values often spill over into the faith community.
The success of simple churches may be more substantial, but they are certainly less visible.
The term “simple church” came up while I was doing some web surfing on various alternative church movements, including “house churches.” House churches are typically small groups that meet at a home, acting as an independent church led by lay leadership (or with leadership responsibilities shared by all). Simple churches may be as large as 50 to 70 people, but typically have few if any paid staff and minimal overhead, meeting in non-traditional facilities. Almost all house churches are simple churches, but not the other way around.
House churches and simple churches should not be confused with start-up churches that are just going through a simple phase while hoping to grow bigger. Church “plants” often begin at a home or rented facility (often a school building) and are led by a founding pastor whose salary is subsidized by a denomination mission fund or outside employment.
The advantages of the simple church include greater intimacy among its members, a higher level of commitment (as opposed to the 80/20 principle common in most traditional churches: 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the members) and better stewardship of finances. With little if any money going to salaries and buildings, more giving is directed toward outside charity and ministry.
Many years ago, I read about an El Paso house church that was led by a retired pastor and whose members decided jointly where to give their money. That struck me as an ideal arrangement.
Of course, small size is no more a guarantee of spiritual health than row after row of packed pews. Small congregations can become just as self-centered and misdirected as any other church, and perhaps more easily so.
I’m not saying that big is bad, either. But one of my core Christian beliefs is that most of the important connections we make with other Christ-followers happen in small groups. A big church that effectively encourages small groups, particularly home groups, can have the best of both worlds. There are also many people who might never step foot in a traditional church who might come to some kind of alternative fellowship.
A newspaper friend and I had a recent conversation in which I asserted that daily newspapers and churches share a similar problem: A whole generation of people have grown up without the habit of reading the paper every day or going to church regularly. Fewer people subscribe to the paper, and fewer people attend church.
And just as the Internet and alternative publications (like this one) prove that people are still hungry for news, non-traditional forms of church can easily tap into a hunger for fellowship.
Among the issues facing anyone looking for a house church or simple church is where to find one. Larger, traditional churches have street-front visibility and may even advertise. Simple churches grow by word of mouth, often among fellow defectors from a traditional church.
There are networks (house2house.com, for example) for these congregations. But a search for El Paso connections came up empty.
If you’re involved with a house church or other form of “simple church,” I would love to hear from you. Send me a note at limbird@gmail.com. Warning: I assume that any emails sent to me are fair game for mentioning in this column or posting on my soon-to-be-ready website and blog. If you don’t want to be quoted, please say so in your message.
Randy Limbird is editor and publisher of El Paso Scene. ElPasoFishNet seeks to serve the
local community of Christ-followers.
March 2008 column
March 2008 Column
(c) 2008 El Paso Scene
Welcome to ElPasoFishNet, a new column in El Paso Scene that seeks to serve the local community of Christ-followers.
The fish symbol was a code with which early believers in Christ identified themselves to each other. The Greek word for fish (ichthys) served as an acronym for the first letters of “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.”
So why is El Paso Scene running a faith-based column? Two main reasons: There isn’t a column anywhere else to serve this readership; and two, that’s what I wanted to write about and I own the newspaper!
My specific interest is not to evangelize people or even to share my own beliefs, but to help local believers (that’s the “Fish” part) to network (hence “FishNet”) with each other and the world. By the way, Jud Burgess of Substance (designofsubstance.com) designed the logo.
Two related resources, a website (ElPasoFishNet.com) and blog (elpasofishnet.blogspot.com). Both are under development but I will try to get some content posted soon.
My purpose also is not to draw people to any particular established church; I am currently on a church “sabbatical,” as I call it. But I have had lots of experience in that area. Over the past 22 years, I’ve been active in about four different churches in El Paso. One of those churches even started in my own back yard. I also helped launch Singles in the Son, an interdenominational singles ministry that began in 1989 and lasted for many years.
For this first column, I want to share some resources on the web that I have found useful.
1. biblegateway.com: Every verse of the Bible, in also every major translation and language, is just a few keystrokes away by typing in the chapter and verse or searching via keywords. The website also is a valuable portal for other Bible research sites and more.
2. discipleshiplibrary.com. This is another great resource for Bible study, offering countless audio messages by well-known Bible teachers such as J. Vernon McGee and Ray Stedman. The content is conservative, but well-researched.
3. marshill.org: Mars Hill is a relatively new church based outside of Grand Rapids, Mich. The main pastor is Rob Bell, author of “Velvet Elvis.” Mars Hill is a leading example of the “cyberchurch,” churches that reach out through the internet with sermon downloads and podcasts.
4. Speaking of Faith (http://
speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/): This public radio program (not broadcast locally) started three years ago and is by far the best “secular” coverage of faith issue I have seen or heard on public airwaves. Host Krista Tippett covers topics from modern physics to Islamic fundamentalism with in-depth interviews of religious leaders, authors and others. You can subscribe to a podcast for current shows, download any past show and even listen to the uncut interview.
4. iTunes U: I learned about “iTunes University” a few months ago and since then have “audited” about five classes offered by Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) — one of more than three dozen universities and colleges providing free classes and lectures on itunes. Itunes U is available to anyone with itunes software — just click on the iTunes Store than click on iTunes U. Other faith-related resources include Stanford’s Religion and Spirituality series and Berkeley’s “Man, God and Society in Western Literature.”
5. As you might have noticed, most of the sites listed above offer downloadable audio programs. I do a lot of iPod listening as I bicycle the roads of the Upper Valley. All the above sites provide free downloads. If you want to spend a few bucks, shop for audiobooks at christianaudio.com. My favorite “pay-per-hear” site is donaldmillerwords.com. Miller is the author of “Blue Like Jazz” and other books, and his take on different aspects of faith is well worth the $3.95 price per talk.
* * *
Speaking of websites, I was curious about how well local churches are represent on the web. Some websites offer a directory of local churches, which essentially are Yellow Pages-type listings. Examples include thechurchfinder.com and nowtrygod.com. Of course, almost every denomination offers a directory of its churches in whatever city you want to look for.
Specialized directories include the Willow Creek Association site, willowcreek.com. Willow Creek is the Chicago-area megachurch led by Bill Hybels. The three El Paso members are St. Clement’s, St. Mark’s Methodist and Cielo Vista Church.
On some church-finder sites, churches must either pay or go through some special process to be listed. For example, if you go to usachurches.org, one El Paso church popped up – Christian Joy Center. On flockfinder.com, the only local referral was Metropolitan Community Church of El Paso, which mainly serves the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Community.
The local church site that came up most often on my various Google searches and also had the best overall content was Church of St. Clement (stclements.com). What particularly impressed me was the prayer request form link at the top of the home page.
If you have a favorite website, comments or questions to share with ElPasoFishNet, send me an email at limbird@gmail.com. Keep checking the website and blog for additional content as well.
Randy Limbird is editor
and publisher of El Paso Scene.
(c) 2008 El Paso Scene
Welcome to ElPasoFishNet, a new column in El Paso Scene that seeks to serve the local community of Christ-followers.
The fish symbol was a code with which early believers in Christ identified themselves to each other. The Greek word for fish (ichthys) served as an acronym for the first letters of “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.”
So why is El Paso Scene running a faith-based column? Two main reasons: There isn’t a column anywhere else to serve this readership; and two, that’s what I wanted to write about and I own the newspaper!
My specific interest is not to evangelize people or even to share my own beliefs, but to help local believers (that’s the “Fish” part) to network (hence “FishNet”) with each other and the world. By the way, Jud Burgess of Substance (designofsubstance.com) designed the logo.
Two related resources, a website (ElPasoFishNet.com) and blog (elpasofishnet.blogspot.com). Both are under development but I will try to get some content posted soon.
My purpose also is not to draw people to any particular established church; I am currently on a church “sabbatical,” as I call it. But I have had lots of experience in that area. Over the past 22 years, I’ve been active in about four different churches in El Paso. One of those churches even started in my own back yard. I also helped launch Singles in the Son, an interdenominational singles ministry that began in 1989 and lasted for many years.
For this first column, I want to share some resources on the web that I have found useful.
1. biblegateway.com: Every verse of the Bible, in also every major translation and language, is just a few keystrokes away by typing in the chapter and verse or searching via keywords. The website also is a valuable portal for other Bible research sites and more.
2. discipleshiplibrary.com. This is another great resource for Bible study, offering countless audio messages by well-known Bible teachers such as J. Vernon McGee and Ray Stedman. The content is conservative, but well-researched.
3. marshill.org: Mars Hill is a relatively new church based outside of Grand Rapids, Mich. The main pastor is Rob Bell, author of “Velvet Elvis.” Mars Hill is a leading example of the “cyberchurch,” churches that reach out through the internet with sermon downloads and podcasts.
4. Speaking of Faith (http://
speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/): This public radio program (not broadcast locally) started three years ago and is by far the best “secular” coverage of faith issue I have seen or heard on public airwaves. Host Krista Tippett covers topics from modern physics to Islamic fundamentalism with in-depth interviews of religious leaders, authors and others. You can subscribe to a podcast for current shows, download any past show and even listen to the uncut interview.
4. iTunes U: I learned about “iTunes University” a few months ago and since then have “audited” about five classes offered by Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) — one of more than three dozen universities and colleges providing free classes and lectures on itunes. Itunes U is available to anyone with itunes software — just click on the iTunes Store than click on iTunes U. Other faith-related resources include Stanford’s Religion and Spirituality series and Berkeley’s “Man, God and Society in Western Literature.”
5. As you might have noticed, most of the sites listed above offer downloadable audio programs. I do a lot of iPod listening as I bicycle the roads of the Upper Valley. All the above sites provide free downloads. If you want to spend a few bucks, shop for audiobooks at christianaudio.com. My favorite “pay-per-hear” site is donaldmillerwords.com. Miller is the author of “Blue Like Jazz” and other books, and his take on different aspects of faith is well worth the $3.95 price per talk.
* * *
Speaking of websites, I was curious about how well local churches are represent on the web. Some websites offer a directory of local churches, which essentially are Yellow Pages-type listings. Examples include thechurchfinder.com and nowtrygod.com. Of course, almost every denomination offers a directory of its churches in whatever city you want to look for.
Specialized directories include the Willow Creek Association site, willowcreek.com. Willow Creek is the Chicago-area megachurch led by Bill Hybels. The three El Paso members are St. Clement’s, St. Mark’s Methodist and Cielo Vista Church.
On some church-finder sites, churches must either pay or go through some special process to be listed. For example, if you go to usachurches.org, one El Paso church popped up – Christian Joy Center. On flockfinder.com, the only local referral was Metropolitan Community Church of El Paso, which mainly serves the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Community.
The local church site that came up most often on my various Google searches and also had the best overall content was Church of St. Clement (stclements.com). What particularly impressed me was the prayer request form link at the top of the home page.
If you have a favorite website, comments or questions to share with ElPasoFishNet, send me an email at limbird@gmail.com. Keep checking the website and blog for additional content as well.
Randy Limbird is editor
and publisher of El Paso Scene.
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