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Lutheran Pastor Apologizes for Being a Decent Human Being.

Well, its seems it takes something going nuts in the blogosphere to get me back on track with Wired Jesus. Seems this moment of church discipline has turned into an absolute nightmare for the 2.3 million member Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, who is now having a very difficult conveying that having the pastor of your slain child praying with other religious leaders mourning a school massacre is not something Jesus would do.

Equally sad, it makes Lutherans like me, who are a different denomination (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which does not have problem praying with other people) look closed minded and hypocritical because most folks don’t know all our tribal differences. But it makes Christians as a whole look bad and become an embarassment to Jesus. So now Lutherans get lumped in with Westboro Baptist, hating Jews and Muslims as pagans we should shun.

Now I’m having to answer questions from members of my congregations who are confused and relieved that its not our “brand” of Lutheran but then what in the world in the Bible can justify such aloofness, as if you are the only real Christians in the world. And, of course, there are the people who drive by, see the name Lutheran, and now think, oh, yeah, the people who don’t pray or care about people who aren’t like them.

Hemant Mehta has it right here. I can’t believe I’m defending a pastor here, but who are these people “confused” by the interfaith vigil?! Who watched the event and thought, “Oh shit! That’s my pastor! He’s sharing the stage with a Muslim! WHY DOES MY PASTOR HATE JESUS?!”

No wonder more and more people want Jesus but nothing to do with those who call themselves “church.” Just another reminder that it seems in many denominations and congregations, Jesus, like Elvis, has left the building.

Yep, podcast coming this week.

don't go to church

I haven’t been to a church in over a year. | Tony Steward.

Behold the future of the church. Megachurches degenerate into business and politics. Mainliners try and relive the 1960s social Gospel as aging hippies that hipsters can’t stand being around. Evangelicals trend toward being doctrine police isolating the faithful into a Christian cocoon. And people with eyes walk away or never walk in, just wanting authentic relationships with real people who want to live like Jesus and give you the freedom to discover that as well.

Lessons to be learned. Podcast to be made.

school

This is my first podcast in six months and the first since repairing the damage done by the hack attack in October. My plan still is a reworking of the blog and podcast feed at the end of the month but the events of last Friday have had me thinking, much like the rest of you. I’m to the point I’m reluctant to even tweet or look at facebook, let alone watch the news, as there is little else to be heard. It almost makes the petty bickering of Democrats and Republicans over the fiscal cliff welcome… almost.

In the last few days I have been asked about where is God in all this and what should we be saying as people of faith, people who know doubt as much as anyone else when confronted by a scene that should come out of hell itself. I have podcast my sermon from this past Sunday along with some other comments but a second podcast will be coming soon that will be more informed by the conversations I have been having with our youth, members of our congregation, and a radio interview I will be part of tomorrow. In this second podcast I’ll be addressing the one aspect of this that few people seem to be willing to address – the reality of evil that is beyond any human control or comprehension.

LEGO® Star Wars™ Advent Calendar  | LEGO Shop.

OMG.

I’ve got to get one.

shooting

20 Children Among 28 Dead In Newtown Elementary School Massacre « CBS New York.

Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:17-18)

Echoes of the days after the first Christmas on this, the third Sunday of Advent – Joy Sunday. Sermons this Sunday are going to be very different than planned and from a different part of the heart.

violence

Reality Check: Violent Fantasies Don’t Make People Violent.

The shooting today has ignited both the news and the blogosphere and the blame game is going to begin, as this article points out. with so many friends facebooking and tweeting their pain and anguish, the inevitable questions of where is God in this and what should we do differently as a culture. I think it makes for a return to podcasting, even if I don’t have the page redone to what I want. Its time to talk again about the reality of evil and the same reality that it is not final.

steeple

Church steeples rented out as cell phone towers: A new higher-power connection – Hartford Top News | Examiner.com.

Interesting story and probably shade of things to come. From 2010 to 2011 charitable giving to religious congregation dropped by $1.2 BILLION – a huge amount as disposable income dried up. If we can’t resolve the fiscal cliff or if it involves like the removal of the charitable tax deduction or the home mortgage deduction, it will have significant consequences for churches as the resources for charitable giving get redirected to taxes.

off blacklist
Finally, after much work inbetween some funerals and other necessities of congregational life, Wired Jesus is now off Google’s blacklist and clear of malware. To celebrate, I’m going to post a rerun this weekend.

I’m also going to block out some time over Christmas to do an overhaul of the webpage and work with guy who can correct my iTunes feed so it includes the full library again. Since I have both iPad, iPhone, and a couple old iPods, it seems time to kick off the new year with a new look – Wired Jesus Podcast 2.0

I’m still working with bluehost to this malware infection dealt with. So keep checking back via goodle and hopefully we’ll get this taken care of soon.

Sorry,

tom

Scott Neal’s Blog: Welcome to FPC! Smoking or Non-Smoking?.

Reggie McNeal is one of the most creative thinkers and reporters of creative mission in the church today. One idea that we are looking at is here recounted in Scott’s Blog – Cigar Bar Church. I put it out there as an idea and have several people who want to run with it. Yeah, I imagine there will be a few folks who might be upset with “the church” promoting smoking. But these are adults engaged in legal activities that and sharing that with others, talk about the Bible, life, and faith.

So, if you enjoy a good cigar (not really my thing, I prefer a good bourbon) and digging into faith and real life, watch for something new coming soon to Findlay, Ohio. I’m guessing we are not the first to take the idea and run with it, so if you have, let me know.

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