At church tonight I think I’ve heard the most wise statement I’ve heard in a long time. Chris Seay is speaking about the story of Noah and is speaking about how we have people saying that this or that event was God taking his wrath out on someone. People say AIDS is God’s wrath to homosexuals or that Hurricane Katrina was God’s wrath to New Orleans/the black community.

Chris made a great point: He said that “… the reason you got in a car wreck or [this bad thing or that bad thing or even] got cancer, is NOT IN ANY WAY God exacting his wrath on you. When Christ was put on the cross ALL of God’s wrath was carried out and accreditted to HIM.” (By the way, that’s not an exact quote, I only used the quotes to give the man credit for what he, and not I, said)

I think that’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard about God in a while.

I don’t think we will ever, in this lifetime, fully understand the magnitude of Christ’s Death. I think we don’t understand a lot of things. and I think that because of that we take them for granted. I think it’s easy to forget that the cross absorbed all of God’s wrath and put it on a single human because it simply is not graspable. To me this is amazing and humbling. This “simple” christian concepts are still so foreign to us that we need constant reminders of the gospel, the MOST basic tenant. Amazing.

My good friend, Lauren, sent me a link to this churches website that her friend in college goes to. Since I am a jerk, I automatically go to the doctrinal pages to see if I find and red flags. Got one: I won’t name the church, that’s not cool.

“Telling Others About Christ
‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for hope that you have.’ I Peter 3:15
It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those whom God brings us into contact. We practice personal sharing about Christ and inviting friends to church”

THIS is a doosey: Let’s look at this scripture. Pay key attention to the part where it says “those who ASK you”

This salvation thing begins and ends with God. NOT YOU. NOT ME. PERIOD. God, through the HS, puts in you a desire for Him. No amount of evangelism can change that. Salvation does not, therefore, begin with you spewing apologetic rhetoric to everyone you cross paths with (Which is what these people like to bastardize the word of God to mean) You are there to answer questions, but there have to be questions to answer.

On the bright side, I really have no idea about anyone in the church or how it operates. It might be a great place.

The problem is this fundagelical attitude, this me-centered salvation. When, in the process of domesticating Christianity in this country, did we mess up to the point that we think this is about anything other than God and his glory? This neo-pharisee evangelize or die attitude is rediculous.

When will the american fundamentalist church wake up and realize that the reason other denoms don’t put limitations on salvation and love IS BECAUSE JESUS DIDN’T EITHER.

My dear friend Haley sent me this link and I couldn’t pass up sharing it with the rest of you.

MEGACHURCH!: The Game

A brief synopsis:

Mega Church: Networked Special Edition (For Windows XP, PC)

Tagline: Imagine if you could create the church you wanted, any way you wanted. Be the next Joel Osteen as you play Mega Church.

-Pastor a simulated church and create your own Christian empire!
- Earn points with God by winning souls for Christ
- With network play enabled, you can steal members from other churches and earn points just like you saved them yourself.

This is the best video game ever created. I want one for every major holiday.