Comments on: A Theology of Creation http://stormented.com/2009/11/a-theology-of-creation-2/ A reflection of God's activity in our lives. Sun, 06 May 2012 02:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: DecaturJeff http://stormented.com/2009/11/a-theology-of-creation-2/comment-page-1/#comment-87 DecaturJeff Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:51:08 +0000 http://5a690446-e5c7-4c86-8560-b51d9b82d443#comment-87 That was pretty sad. Sad that the best we come up with at times is how to energize our worship service. Sad that we aren't so compelled to worship a great and awesome God that a praise band would make any difference. Sad that our worship doesn't compel us to serve those in need. I appreciate one of the comments Frances Chan makes in his book, "Crazy Love" about lukewarm Christians. "Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age 12, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican or live in America. ...we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a Christian nation." That was pretty sad. Sad that the best we come up with at times is how to energize our worship service. Sad that we aren’t so compelled to worship a great and awesome God that a praise band would make any difference. Sad that our worship doesn’t compel us to serve those in need.

I appreciate one of the comments Frances Chan makes in his book, “Crazy Love” about lukewarm Christians. “Lukewarm people feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age 12, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican or live in America. …we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a Christian nation.”

]]> By: Josh Linton http://stormented.com/2009/11/a-theology-of-creation-2/comment-page-1/#comment-86 Josh Linton Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:47:35 +0000 http://5a690446-e5c7-4c86-8560-b51d9b82d443#comment-86 Thanks Jonathan. You said it well. Thanks Jonathan. You said it well.

]]> By: Jonathan Storment http://stormented.com/2009/11/a-theology-of-creation-2/comment-page-1/#comment-85 Jonathan Storment Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:47:04 +0000 http://5a690446-e5c7-4c86-8560-b51d9b82d443#comment-85 Josh, good question thanks for helping me clarify. Last year I read an article by a secular (non-practicing) Jewish man, who decided to dive into the Christian sub-culture for a year to do research. He wrote about everything from Testamints to our Christian versions of Rock Band. And in the end the one point he said was that we weren't creating good things. The goal was that they would be clean, not beautiful. That's a theological problem. We are creating stuff like this movie, that doesn't cuss or have gratuitous violence, but also isn't reflective of the God who created a beautiful world. Anyway, that's what I was trying to say. Thanks for weighing in Josh! Joe, that's interesting I had never thought of universities as replacing churches. I think it was Shane Claiborne who said violence is for those who have lost all imagination. This is what I was trying to get at...Churches have a role of creatively re-imagining how to approach the world that is staring back at us looking for a way out of the deep trenches we have built for ourselves. I hope things can change, and have hope that they will. I know of several churches that are doing some pretty innovative social stuff. I wanted to tie the necessity of that back into the Creation story. Thanks Joe! Josh, good question thanks for helping me clarify. Last year I read an article by a secular (non-practicing) Jewish man, who decided to dive into the Christian sub-culture for a year to do research. He wrote about everything from Testamints to our Christian versions of Rock Band. And in the end the one point he said was that we weren’t creating good things. The goal was that they would be clean, not beautiful. That’s a theological problem. We are creating stuff like this movie, that doesn’t cuss or have gratuitous violence, but also isn’t reflective of the God who created a beautiful world. Anyway, that’s what I was trying to say. Thanks for weighing in Josh!

Joe, that’s interesting I had never thought of universities as replacing churches. I think it was Shane Claiborne who said violence is for those who have lost all imagination. This is what I was trying to get at…Churches have a role of creatively re-imagining how to approach the world that is staring back at us looking for a way out of the deep trenches we have built for ourselves.

I hope things can change, and have hope that they will. I know of several churches that are doing some pretty innovative social stuff. I wanted to tie the necessity of that back into the Creation story. Thanks Joe!

]]> By: Joe http://stormented.com/2009/11/a-theology-of-creation-2/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Joe Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:39:12 +0000 http://5a690446-e5c7-4c86-8560-b51d9b82d443#comment-84 To a degree I agree with you completely. In our society where people are sadly atomized, the last refuge of true community seems to be churches and maybe schools. I tell people all the time how much I miss that aspect of church. Yet, at the same time, it's hard to believe that demographic of people who can barely stomach talk of evolution will manage to combat the AIDS crisis. Churches seem doomed to irrelevance until they can manage to deal with the multitude of irrational fears, whether culture or science, that reduce them to pathetic displays like the video above. I feel right now that universities fulfill all the capacities and responsibilities that churches have abdicated too long, only they do it in the name competition and personal gain (and on better occasions for humanitarian concerns). I see no reason that churches couldn't do so other than fear and general unwillingness. I hope the future will see a change in this. To a degree I agree with you completely. In our society where people are sadly atomized, the last refuge of true community seems to be churches and maybe schools. I tell people all the time how much I miss that aspect of church.

Yet, at the same time, it’s hard to believe that demographic of people who can barely stomach talk of evolution will manage to combat the AIDS crisis. Churches seem doomed to irrelevance until they can manage to deal with the multitude of irrational fears, whether culture or science, that reduce them to pathetic displays like the video above.

I feel right now that universities fulfill all the capacities and responsibilities that churches have abdicated too long, only they do it in the name competition and personal gain (and on better occasions for humanitarian concerns). I see no reason that churches couldn’t do so other than fear and general unwillingness. I hope the future will see a change in this.

]]> By: Josh Linton http://stormented.com/2009/11/a-theology-of-creation-2/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Josh Linton Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:34:33 +0000 http://5a690446-e5c7-4c86-8560-b51d9b82d443#comment-83 Hey, I've followed your blog for some time now. Good stuff. Just for the sake of conversation. How would you specifically critique the movie trailer? I thought it was laughable. But would you put a bit more flesh (skin) on how it helps illustrate (negatively) the point you're making. Please understand that I agree with you. Just wanting to understand more clearly. Thanks again. Hey,

I’ve followed your blog for some time now. Good stuff.

Just for the sake of conversation. How would you specifically critique the movie trailer? I thought it was laughable. But would you put a bit more flesh (skin) on how it helps illustrate (negatively) the point you’re making.

Please understand that I agree with you. Just wanting to understand more clearly.

Thanks again.

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