Entitled
Posted: February 22, 2012 Filed under: Culture | Tags: entitlement Leave a comment »It is rather appropriate that on the first day of lent I am thinking through the entitlement mentality of the dominate generation. David Murray has devoted the latest podcast to the issue and I think it is important to recognize it and ponder how to counter act it. The younger generation is terribly entitled. The expect to benefit without work or for little work. We are all prone to entitlement as a way of life but it is an inborn sickness among many.
Murray interacts with the mentality and I encourage you to at least read his post and think through how you are functionally entitled. And then stop it. Murray addresses what we are entitled to.
“As a Christian, I believe in one entitlement.
I’m entitled to Hell. That’s the only entitlement I have. That’s all I deserve, because of my sin. Anything else is grace, an unmerited bonus from the God of all grace. I don’t deserve a breath of life, a crumb of food, a drop of water, a stitch of clothing, a cent in my wallet, or an hour of education. I’m not entitled to one friend, one vacation, one verse of Scripture, or even one sermon. I’m certainly not entitled to salvation and heaven. I’m entitled to damnation and Hell.
That sense of entitlement makes me seek mercy, receive mercy, enjoy mercy, and be merciful to others. To paraphrase the Apostle Paul, “What have I that I did not receive as a free gift of divine grace? How therefore can I ever boast as if I had actually been entitled to it or earned it?”
So, there are basically only two ways to live: with a proud and angry sense of entitlement or with a humble and thankful sense of responsibility.”
Read the post and hear the podcast here.
Retelling the Story
Posted: February 20, 2012 Filed under: Culture, Faith | Tags: gospels translated, Jesus, modern jesus 1 Comment »
One of my favorite authors of this generation, Matt Mikalatos, is in the midst of a new blog series where he is retelling the gospel stories in a modern context. It is taking place on Western Seminary’s Transformed blog. Having grown up in the church he felt as if he had all the right answers but none of the awe. “Somewhere along the way, I realized that my emotional responses to Jesus, which ranged from a mild, pleasant feeling all the way to a mild, semi-crippling guilt, didn’t match the emotional responses of the people interacting with Jesus in the scriptures. They felt terror when he calmed the seas. They experienced hate-filled, murderous impulses when they heard his teaching. They wept in his presence, they repented of their sins, they fell at his feet in worship. I started to wonder if maybe I was the simplistic, two-dimensional character. I needed to take a fresh look at Jesus.”
He is just one “translation” into his experiment and I think it is worth keeping an eye on. Too often we have our assumed conception of Jesus and the significance of his work but we rarely have the trembling awe that would be appropriate. I agree with Mikalatos that we must think through the lens that will give us the clearest view – our context. In the very least his series will be enjoyable and maybe just a little awe-inspiring.
Go here for the introduction and here for the first of his translations.
Dead Religiosity
Posted: February 8, 2012 Filed under: Culture, Faith | Tags: Jesus, metaxas, obama, prayer breakfast Leave a comment »
I am stirred this week by the words of Eric Metaxas. Metaxas spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast this year and his courage, poignancy, and truthfulness is needed in the halls of Washington and the streets our neighborhoods. He points to Jesus and calls on us to love. He spoke important words, while standing next to the President, and these are the words you will hear at a political rally any time soon.
Watch the speech here. It is worth it.
Bro, you are totally a hipster
Posted: January 24, 2012 Filed under: Culture 3 Comments »If I learned anything from my time in Portland it is that hipsters are generally in denial. I would often complement friends on being hipster but this seemed to be the deadliest of insults and they would work to refute your claim. Even more absurd is when they attempt to flip the label on me and claim I am a hipster (ha!) A new movie is coming out that might just embody the emotion behind the revulsion toward the label. I AM NOT A HIPSTER is “Based in San Diego’s indie music and art scene, I AM NOT A HIPSTER features original song performances and explores what it means to be creative in the face of tragedy.” Beautiful. Can’t wait to see it.
Bro, you are totally a hipster.
