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Claims of Jesus Interpreted Out of Context

Claims of Jesus Interpreted Out of Context

“The gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many.”

Gut instinct tells me he’s talking about the front gate at Disneyworld on Labor Day Weekend but odds are better he means eastbound Interstate 10 entering New Orleans.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

When creating a profile of the future rulers of the planet, qualities like submissiveness, patience, and timidity don’t typically top the list.  But perhaps they should.  In a world increasingly taken with gun ownership, WMDs, and Michael Bay movies, it makes sense that the future would belong to the draft dodger and conscientious objector.  Think of the meek people in your life.  My guess is they aren’t the ones getting mixed up in gang violence or addicted to smack (same thing, I know).  They’re the ones hiding in their panic room with an Amazon Kindle and a mountain of batteries.  Sounds to me like meekness is the name of the game.  Especially when the “game” is nuclear holocaust.

“If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move.”

With all deference to Wegener’s The Origin of Continents and Oceans, this appears to be the first recorded lecture on the theory of plate tectonics.  Jesus has apparently gained awareness of Jerusalem’s location at the collisional boundary of the Eurasian and Arabian Plates and is attempting to explain geosynclinal theory to a crowd of illiterate herdsmen.  No small task, I can assure you.  In this instance, he is likely making reference to the year 80-207-684 A.D. when continental drift will cause the low-lying mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean to collide with modern-day Pittsburgh.

“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

Doable.  Assuming all specs and submittals are in order and all necessary city, state, and local permits are processed and assuming we’re building on the existing slab and all necessary underground work is in place and in good condition, we could do it.  Get me some high-wattage light towers, an 80-ton tower crane, two boomlifts, and forty laborers with minimum ten years Tilt-up experience.  We’ll use pre-fabbed components and work around the clock.  The union will be all over my ass and OSHA’s gonna throw their usual “standard workday” bull spit at me, but we’ll git er done.  It won’t be easy, and it probably won’t look as nice as this one you got here, but I can guaran-damn-tee you’ll have the keys by sunup Monday.  Lord willing.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

You ever tried to smoke a cigarette on the observation deck at the Space Needle?  Impossible.  Take my word for it.  No way, no how.  You take one puff and before you can say “civil liberties” some granola-humper has ripped it out of your mouth and stubbed it out on her hardback copy of Catch-22.  So yeah, I guess rich people aren’t going to heaven because there’s no way in hell you’re getting a Camel up the Space Needle.

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Crossroads Christian Worship Centre Sonday Bulletin

Crossroads Christian Worship Centre Sonday Bulletin

crossroads

Crossroads Christian Worship Centre
Sonday January 3, 2010

Happy Twenty Ten everybody! It’s so great to ring in another new year here at the Centre. We’ve got a lot of great things going this year to keep you fellowshipping here with us, from the men’s wood chopping Bible study to the new “twitter” service (for all you webbies that prefer your Jesus in 140 characters!), there is something for every preference!

Great news for all you coffee buffs: CCWC’s in-house coffee shop Java Jesus finally has an organic, free-trade blend! We fly it in directly from Costa Rica once a month. This stuff comes highly recommended from our missionaries there, so grab a Zacchaeus (S), a David (M) or a Whopping 24oz. Goliath (L) before the service. It will definitely keep you from dozing off when Pastor Elliot goes off on one of his epic 40 minute messages! LOL! Read the full story

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Snowboarders Protest Christian Attempts to Take the “Extreme” out of Xmas

Snowboarders Protest Christian Attempts to Take the “Extreme” out of Xmas

church protestCARLSBAD – Angry shouting, U2 songs, dreadlocks, frightened Republicans, and the faint aroma of marijuana.  These are all things one could reasonably expect at a good old fashioned American protest.  What one would not expect is for the crowd of college dropouts to be comprised entirely of skateboarders, BMX bikers, snowboarders, climbing wall instructors, and Razor scooter riders.  Yet that is exactly what was to be seen outside North Shore Baptist church in Carlsbad, California, last Wednesday evening.

In a departure from their notoriously laid-back, near-catatonic demeanor, a passionate yet mostly indifferent coalition of action sport enthusiasts and Mountain Dew junkies gathered in the NSB parking lot to protest the attempts of fundamental Christians to uphold the traditional spelling of Christmas.

The word “Christmas”, which North Shore Baptist used frequently when advertising Wednesday night’s 1st and 2nd grade Christmas Pageant, has for decades been used to designate the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, which scholars conclude occurred sometime around 6:45 in the morning on the 25th of December.

Professional wakeboarder Brody “Bro D” Hooper doesn’t see it that way.  He and his fellow protestors consider the use of the word “Christmas” to be part of an aggressive Christian effort to “take the extreme out of Xmas.” Read the full story

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Young Adult Ministries: A Poem

Young Adult Ministries: A Poem

I roll up to the church

Sunday at six p.m.

I find a seat in the back

As the pastor says amen.

You might think it odd

That I be at church tonight

You might question my motives

And you would probably be right.

It isn’t a normal service

That’s coaxed me from my couch to here.

I’ve come to explore a club

For people aged “college and careers.”

I’ve heard these places are cool

I’m told they can be fun

But I’m not here for that

I’m here to find “the one.”

I’m sporting a brand new polo

I’m here to mix and mingle.

I’m motivated by fear

Of the words: “28 and single.” Read the full story

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FW: Invitation to Join the MEGA-CHURCH FANTASY LEAGUE

FW: Invitation to Join the MEGA-CHURCH FANTASY LEAGUE

You have been invited to a fantasy draft party two weeks from now at the First Baptist parsonage.  Join other local pastors for fellowship, laughter, and casserole as we fill out our rosters for the upcoming Mega-Church Fantasy Season! 

I know we have some new faces this year so let me catch everyone up on the rules.  Each participant will select the three high-profile pastors (one from each category: Urban, Suburban, Bi-lingual) he feels will provide the best chance to dominate local churches and crush the competition.  Each week, league members will be paired with an ecclesiastical arch-rival to see whose “posse of pastors” is anointed and whose is culturally irrelevant.   Read the full story

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From the Archives: Joel Osteen Reads the Gospels for the First Time

From the Archives: Joel Osteen Reads the Gospels for the First Time

Last Thursday Joel Osteen, senior pastor of Lakewood “Church” in Houston, Texas revealed to the world that he had

He didn't know Jesus was such a stickler.

He didn't know Jesus was such a stickler.

recently read the Gospels for the first time during a segment of the MTV Special True Life: I’m Joel Osteen. “Ya know, I decided it was about time I toughed it through all four Gospels. They’re super long but I mean, I am a pastor, right?” Osteen said laughingly in his charming Texan accent. The author of Your Best Life Now, a theological dissertation concerning the Biblical hermeneutic of success, was shocked at the lack of material prosperity present in the words of Jesus. “I tell you what, I don’t get it. Where’s the prosperity in the Gospels? Jesus didn’t own anything really. Not a yacht, not a Merc[edes], or, well, whatever their equivalents were back in the 1600’s when He was alive. What would that be, a carriage? I don’t know. You get my point.” Osteen went on in shock as he described how Jesus told his followers to give up everything and follow Him, rather than telling them to “invest everything wisely in solid mutual funds” or how “being a good steward means being successful in the stock market.” The story of the rich young man was apparently the straw that broke the pastor’s back. “And then, and then, Jesus goes and tells the rich guy to sell everything and give it to the poor? Everything Jesus? Everything? You can’t be serious.” Read the full story

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From The Archives: An Imagined Speech to the Couple Snuggling in the Pew Two Rows Up

From The Archives: An Imagined Speech to the Couple Snuggling in the Pew Two Rows Up

Hard as it is to believe, The Talking Mirror will celebrate it’s first birthday this week.  Those of you who have been with us since the beginning (I refer here to my mother and Conor’s mother) will no doubt remember the half-formed fetus of a blog that was foisted upon the internet community last September.  Those of you who have joined us along the way will no doubt marvel at the  muscle-bound, semi-literate toddler it has become.  In addition to the requisite photos of TTM’s face and high chair covered in chocolate cake, we have decided to commemorate its first birthday by republishing some of our favorite pieces from the archives.  These are all from 2008 so many of you will have missed or forgotten them.  So read them again, for the first time.  Thanks again for all the visits, links, comments, and compliments.  We hope you enjoy these TTM classics and look forward to another year of half-assed commentary, and non-sensical cultural references.

(whispered) Excuse me. Hi. How are ya? Uh, this is a little awkward for me, and uh…well, I really hate to interrupt you two during the sermon like this and all, but…umm…you see, the thing is, I’m sitting two rows behind you and your little fondle-fest up here has begun to disturb me in a very deep and permanent way.

I heard you two recently got married. That’s awesome! Seriously, congratulations and all that. I can see that you guys really love each other, and I’m so happy you found one another. I’m just not so sure that God’s house is the most appropriate place to play huggy-bear, kissy-face. I get that it’s intensely painful for you two to be physically separated for even a few seconds. I get it, I really do. It’s called biological addiction, and I feel the same way about my couch. However, my sense of propriety and respect for social norms prevent me from dragging that couch here to the Lord’s living room every Sunday. I wish you two could do the same.

Listen bro, I’m sure tenderly caressing her lower back and running your hand through her silky auburn hair makes you want to worship the Lord more fervently than ever before. And you? I don’t doubt that as you run your finger nails along the contours of his bicep you’re pondering the sovereignty and strength of the Almighty. The problem is, all I’m thinking as I observe this foreplay from my pew is how long its been since my last solid makeout session. It’s been quite awhile, I don’t mind telling you. Read the full story

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Local Mega-Church Adds Crowd Surfing to Worship Routine

Local Mega-Church Adds Crowd Surfing to Worship Routine

Crossroads Christian Worship Centre recently updated their “Glossary of Worship” to include “Christ-Inspired Crowd Surfing” earlier this week. This comes in addition to the already Church-sanctioned practices of “Holy Fist Pumping,” “Spirit-Filled Moshing,” and “Righteous Lighter Waving.”

“I just… I just feel so burdened, deep down in my heart of hearts for those that need to express God’s love by jumping into crowds of other worshippers,” says Brady Greene, Pastor of Spirituality and Praise at CCWC. “You know, there’s got to be a reason that raising your hands is a requirement for praising God. I think the reason is so that you can catch your brothers and sisters who are so filled with love from the God above that they climb onto the stage and jump off.”

When asked about a Biblical source for this new “act of worship,” Greene cited King David. “Man, my brothers and sisters are just trying to really get close to God, like, physically. They’re Spirit-filled, right? And so they climb up the tallest thing they can find to try to get closer to God, and then at the top they kind of get ’slain in the Spirit,’ like what Benny Hinn does, but like, for real.”

Read the full story

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Heidi and Spencer Pratt go to Bible Study: A Transcript

Heidi and Spencer Pratt go to Bible Study: A Transcript

The following is a transcript of the conversation that took place during a Bible study that Heidi and Spencer Pratt attended. For reasons of personal security, we cannot divulge how we attained this information.

CHRIS (Bible Study Leader): Hey everybody! I’d like to welcome you to another great Tuesday night Bible study here at Crossroads Christian Worship Centre! Now before you start whispering, I’ll just go ahead and offer a warm welcome to two newcomers who I’m sure you recognize: Heidi and Spencer Pratt! We’re just so thankful that you came.

HEIDI: Oh yeah, we’re like, super excited about Bibles.

SPENCER: Yeah! I totally brought my own. It says it’s called The Message, but I’m pretty sure it’s a Bible.

CHRIS: Close enough, Spencer.

HEIDI: Also, I just want everybody to know I brought in some advance copies of the Playboy issue that I’m in! They’re all signed by me and Spency, and specially personalized with my favorite Bible verse!

CHRIS: (stumbles with words) Um, Heidi, I uh… I think I can speak for all of us here when I say “no thank you.” It was, um, thoughtful of you to bring those, but they kind of… Nevermind, just no thank you. Read the full story

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Author of Wildly Successful “The Shack” Writes Sequel, “The Mansion”

Author of Wildly Successful “The Shack” Writes Sequel, “The Mansion”

On the verge of the release of the hotly anticipated new installment of the Harry Potter film series comes the announcement of another sequel likely to incite riots and violence amongst rabid crowds of fans. Titled simply The Mansion, this book is the follow up to the break-out theological fiction work The Shack. Following the first book’s successful fulfillment of its ambitious goal to explain God through the main character’s conversation with the Trinity at a shack where his daughter was murdered, The Mansion aims to use a simple narrative to explain the meaning of life.

“You know, when I wrote The Shack, I was just doing my best to explain my thoughts on God to my kids,” author William P. Young told TTM in an informal Gchat interview. “Then one day after I came home from doing a book tour through the Bible Belt, I heard my son listening to one of my personal favorite bands, Creed. He was listening to ‘What’s This Life For?‘ and I decided, you know what son? I’m gonna write a book and tell you.” Read the full story

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