I’m closing down my wordpress

I have moved all my writing efforts to ONE blog, and it is not this one. If you read my blogs and would like to continue to do so, please visit:

ragamuffinwrites.blogspot.com

and “follow” off to the right, or you can rss or bookmark it.

thank you for reading

Your thoughts…???

I read a pretty great article today.  Here are a few quotes from it to get the idea.  I’m still processing it–to be honest.  Any thoughts…???

“Do church leaders study the complexity and changes of our cultural environment with the same kind of seriousness when it comes to the design and construction of church facilities?”

“The Church has been building the spiritual equivalent of vacation cruise liners: large slow structures made for calm, balmy seas and friendly ports of call.  We may be trying to make these ships faster, a little more up-tempo and with a mission statement, but we’re expecting calm seas and a sunny horizon. Here’s the catch: The Church has long since left a stable, homogenous, and predictable culture.”

“Churches must understand our culture’s suffocating pace and, in turn, develop response that will make life simpler and more sustainable.”

“In 1990, 90% of the world’s Christians lived in the Western world. Today, according to one study, only 30% do. We are no longer the center of Christianity for the world, and Christianity’s arguably no longer the center of our culture.”

“Today’s serious church leaders know they can no longer build for calm seas, sunny horizons, and pampered passengers.  The church was born in turbulent times, and true to its calling, has always functioned best on the high seas.”

(Bahler, E and Couchenour, Bill. “Thyspace: rethinking buildings & facilities.” Rev! Sept/Oct. 2008. 100-106.)

Douchebag Cafe

Recently left by me as a comment to a friend’s blog:

YES on all accounts.  I know exactly of the type of place you speak.  There are several in Sacramento, and I frequent them all to be honest.  In fact, the one I frequent most, called “The Naked Lounge” has been written about in the local news and review magazine.  They were doing an article on all the local coffee shops and when it came to describing this, my favorite one, they said, “Everyone knows this is place to go if you want the best cup of coffee in town with a side of douchebag.”
I concurr. In fact, I have told friends that “Naked” (as the locals, including myself, would shorten it to call) should have an decal on their door that simply reads:
“The Naked Lounge: where everyone is better than you.”
Ah, but I absolutely love my best cup of coffee in Sacramento, and if that must include a side of douche, so be it.

First and Last Post about “The Shack”

Since a few people have been asking me what I thought about “The Shack” by William Young, I suppose I should sit for a moment and determine what I really did think about it.

First of all, I realize it is fiction, and I chose to read it as such.  Now it is important to clarify that, because it was important to remind myself of that a few times during the reading.  THAT may be a solid indicator of good fiction, though, as far as I am concerned.

On the cover of the particular edition I read was a recommendation by Eugene Peterson, whom I have a great respect for.  I don’t particularly like The Message, but I greatly respect Peterson as a scholar and a theologian.  He wrote something to the effect of “The Shack has the potential to do for this time what Pilgrim’s Progress did for its own.” So I was excited!

So theology; the part everyone wonders about when reading the book (or when bashing it without having read it).  I went back and read some reader reviews on shelfari.com (which you should all join and be friends with me on) and found pretty generally, the view was:

“Great fiction; horrible theology.”

There was a smattering of terms like:

“New Age” “bad fiction” “poor theology” and even “typical bandwagon Christian crap” (that one promotes an agreeable grin from me)

But there are others with comments like:

“Great!” “Powerful” “transformational”

Well to ALL those reactions, good and bad, I say, “mmmmm, yeah.”

I did really like the book.  I do not read fiction much at all, though I should because it brings a certain life to my own writing.  This book was one I read because many people “under my care” were reading it.

The story really is a pretty decent story. (I’ve read much better fiction, which says a lot coming from a guy who doesn’t read much fiction.) There was a lot of imagery used TO SERVE THE PURPOSE OF ALLEGORY that would not be very theologically sound or able to fall within any canonical doctrine.

BUUUUUT….

I will say that, AS AN ALLEGORY, it was brilliant.  I don’t imagine many people were too happy with Bunyun when he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress either, but as an allegory, it was also brilliant for its time.

I do not read “The Shack” as a book on theology.  I read it as fiction and as an attempt at allegory.  Much like I do when I watch movies or listen to songs or anything else.  Even in the most unexpected places, I am always looking for a glimpse of God; not a full description or manifesto of theology. I have seen things in Shawshank Redemption, Bruce Almighty, and Narnia that have served to bring me closer to the heart of God.  I have heard songs by bands like The Brand New, Pedro the Lion, and various others that have served to help me recognize God’s love and grace in new ways.

This book is no different.  I wrote several quotes from the book in my journal, and this book, because of its vivid allegory has revived my spirit and soul in places that had felt stagnant and dry.  It made God and his great love a step more tangible for me…

…even a book that is decent fiction and is only a story.

Where are all the haters for Narnia? Oh…but thats C.S. Lewis…