The second installment of Friday Amusements. This video makes me laugh harder every time I watch it. If you are a friend on facebook, i may have already shown this to you. I don’t apologize for allowing you to see it again.
Off Campus.
I love reaching college students. The past two weeks have reminded me that there’s nothing like the first weeks of a freshman’s college carreer. It’s so much fun to be on campus, to be a part of God changing student’s lives.
It’s not always easy, but man, is it ever worth it.
This semester we have to pull back, and spend some time mending our financial support net. As you may know, we depend entirely on the donations of concerned individuals, churches, and businesses to fund our ministry, our salary, and our healthcare benefits. We challenge folks to join us on a monthly basis financially so that we are freed up to focus fully on the task at hand, communicating the gospel in the language of today’s college student.
So, as much as I enjoy the work on campus, this semester we will be working off campus to ensure many more years of fruitful labor. That probably will mean more posts about funds than before (don’t be afraid of that little “funds” link to your right. It won’t bite…)
Pray with us that God would raise up all the dollars we need. We are asking Him to do so by Thanksgiving.
Stockholm Syndrome.
Derek Webb is not scared of controversy. Here’s a line from his latest censored album. (this is the uncensored version, so if language offends you, now would be the time to click the “funny” link to your right)
“Meanwhile we sit just like we don’t give a shit about 50,000 people that are dying today.”
Here’s another:
“You say you always treat people like you’d like to be, I guess you love being hated for your sexuality…”
And my favorite:
“…’cause if you really believed what you say you believe, you wouldn’t be so damn reckless with the words you speak.”
His record label wouldn’t let the song make it out of the gate, so he released it on his website.
I love this song. The title of the song is “What Matters More,” and the controversy that has ensued has proven the words to be nearly prophetic. A segment of the Christian community has freaked out more about the words of the song than the content of the message. It is far more reckless to marginalize one group of sinners (homosexuals) while welcoming others than to use the word “damn.” What does matter more? The gospel, or a social agenda? The fact that people are dying and going to hell, or that we avoid saying the word “shit?”
If you’ll permit me, I want to step in in defense of Derek, and say that he is not saying that only the gospel matters, and so we should just walk around using the same language as the culture, with no regard. He’s just saying that if he had to choose what matters most, it’s not going to be language or targeting homosexuals.
My prayer for this song is that it will make it to the ears of listeners who will actually be shocked by it. I have been around Derek’s music for long enough to not be shocked by him using a “bad” word. But the concepts he hits on in this song are something that the American church needs to deal with.
Here’s the (very well done) video for the song in question.
Lies are tough. The truth will kill you. When you enter interpersonal conflict with the truth, you have to be careful with it… just to drop truth from 20,000 feet and hope that it works is careless, and dangerous.
Josiah, one of our pastors.
Who’s going to guard me?
Ty Lawson, when asked how the ‘09 national champion Tar Heels would match up with the ‘05 champions… InsideCarolina.com: Stars Shine Bright in Chapel Hill