Guns, God, and the American Way

This is because of the US Pastor in Louisville that decided to have an "Open Carry" rally for a service. Seriously guys? Is nothing sacred?

Music - Content!

This is all about the lyrics. To paraphrase the movie Music and Lyrics, the music draws you in but the lyrics are like getting to know someone...

Aside: Legislating Religion, Culture and Pluralism

After reading some of the comments on my YouTube station, I felt like I needed to respond to the elephants in the room (actually, it may have been a herd on the verge of stampeding). It is dangerous to allow fear and bigotry into legislation. It has lasting implications and frequently aftershocks continue and reverberate in ways that are unexpected and unpredictable. It is also dangerous to put up walls where we should be extending hands in friendship and seeking avenues of common ground.

Beyond all this, don't you EVER legislate my God. Separation of church and state is about freedom from someone else's god as much as it is about freedom to worship your own.

Aside: Stupid Sarkozy

Now, I know people all have different ideas about burkas, BUT there are some other considerations that people need to think about before legislating against them.

Music - Genre!

This is the first of 3 entries relating to music and the New Church. The following 2 will relate to content (lyrics) and playing with musical style in worship respectively. I feel the latter is really the direction of the New Church as it is in line with the generation coming into leadership positions - there is a desire for a mix of styles and a playfulness in worship which hasn't been present in the mainline Protestant church. Well, at least, I'm crossing my fingers...

Technology for the New Church and a Church Search Review

We went to Peoria Church of the Nazarene and this is a little review of what we experienced...which was a GREAT lead into one of the points necessary for the New Church - technological connectivity.

Big Stuck #9 - Evangelism

The "E" word... *gasp*

The Church Challenge

So, here's the deal. I am seriously missing faith-based interaction. It gets lonely not having a Church family to hang out with and grow with. I am looking for a church in Northern Phoenix, Arizona. I am obviously progressive (and by all accounts "emerging").

This is what I am looking for:

1. A contemporary worship style - this does not mean only empty praise songs, but also old stand-bys juiced up in a variety of styles, as well as secular songs that speak to the message for that service.
   
2. Variety in service (not always modifying a single template, i.e. insert sermon here, song here and viola!, but having genuinely different worship services from one time to the next).
3. A group of people who are open and willing to question and to struggle despite diversity and because of it - this means that they are actually willing to have everyone from the Church Lady (despite her not having us) to the ex meth-addict metal vocalist.
4. Public action - I know it's hard to make time for this, especially when you're young and a lot of people are struggling, BUT a little protest does a body good. So does some recycling or volunteering.
5. Fun - I like to play. I like beer and wine. I like to go clubbing. I like to play games and ride on the back of my husband's Ninja 650R. It would be good to be a part of a church where it's okay to do all those things, in fact, let's do them TOGETHER.

I think you get the gist. I know it will be difficult to find exactly this, but that doesn't mean I can't shoot for the moon and end up among the stars! This will be an on-going search.

I will tell you now, if I can't find one, I will make one. I know things start small, and I'm totally open to meeting in a pub if necessary. Why not talk about God over billiards? Seems as reasonable as anything else.

The point is, if you know of a community like this, in Phoenix or in your neck of the woods, give a little shout out... because we're in this together (especially let me know if there is someone in North Phoenix because I would rather pool passion than strike out on my own).

Big Stuck #8 - War

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! The truth is, Jesus was not pro-war and anyone who says he was, is delusional.

Big Stuck #7 - Sunday Christianity

There are 2 sides to this dinar - those who only are Christian on Sundays and those who say you can only be Christian if you go to Church on Sundays... *sigh*

Tolerance, plurality, or co-existance? - an Aside

I saw this video on pomomusings. It caused me to remember many of the lessons I learned while I was in India which I think are relevant to our discussions here. Particularly, I think of how we all seek something more than "this" and how difficult it is for so many of us to find "it". Beyond that, when we do, frequently we tend to be hurtful to those who have a different way of accessing the divine. This is a problem in our globalizing world where so many cultures and religions are interacting at an increasing rate.... the question becomes, how do we deal with this?

Now I would not say that I am tolerant of others views. In fact I am actually quite hard and fast about where I come down. This doesn't mean I won't give you air time. If I were merely tolerant I might simply condescend to allow you to believe whatever it is and smirk behind your back saying my way was the high way. By being forthright and admitting inconsistencies and conflicts, it's much easier to respect the other.

This should not only be practiced in India in political elections, or even on an interfaith level, but rather needs to be practiced on an intrafaith level. That is, different denominations of Christianity need to come into conversation with one another and really talk. May the most pragmatic begin!!

Indian Elections : A Mammoth Democratic Exercise from Shashwat Gupta on Vimeo.

Big Stuck #6 - Abortion

It's a sticking point not only for the Church, but also American society. In fact it has become more important in elections than other topics such as Social Security and health-care... something strange about that one...

Big Stuck #5 - Who's got the Bible?

Right interpretation is a major sticking point!

Big Stuck #4 - Money

Hiatus!

Sorry for hiding for the past few weeks. I've had some health issues (multiple kinds and all at once, I highly recommend!) and some guests and the combination is nearly deadly for a blog. In any case, I'm back and hopefully we can get into a groove and interact some.