How techno-savvy is YOUR church?

We're not quite ready to embrace technology to this extent... yet.

'Twittering' encouraged at Seattle church

I'm not sure how reverent you can be while Twittering, but I'm sure someone will measure it someday.

Race and Religion in America

So why is it that the last bastion of open separation between races and ethnicities is within our churches, synagogues, and temples? Is it because we feel compelled to separate by ethnicity for worship? Is the nature of worship itself inherently racist? Do we feel so battered by (un)spoken ethnic division in public that we need the shelter of segregated worship in order to recover? Or is it something else?

I think there must be something deep within us, either installed during our childhood or inherited, that makes us suspicious of things that are different. If you're not familiar with someone else's religion, skin color, or culture, it's easier to be wary of it. Prejudice (i.e. natural prejudgement to stimulus) is not necessarily a bad thing - it can be a helpful survival technique. How we react to it and what lessons we take away from that immediate judgement of the unfamiliar can be very problematic. When we use merely symbolic differences between people as justifications for paranoia (see my last post), that is a serious problem.

To think that the US is free of negative stereotypes and prejudices is ignorance. So what do we do about it? I've been trying to actively examine my reactions and prejudices and come to new conclusions. Only God knows if I'm making things better or just different. I know that staying complacent isn't a healthy option, so I'll keep going and let you know how it goes.

What are you doing and what do you think?

Should Churches Be Taxed?

I haven't really dug into this, and I probably should before opening my big virtual mouth, but I think it's high time churches and other similar religious institutions were taxed. Why aren't they to begin with? Is it because they do so much good for the community? Well, I can think of a few instances where not only have some churches harmed the common good, but also have unabashedly raked in enough cash to make Solomon blush. There are also plenty of non-faith-based organizations that perform excellent community services. I think it's time to rethink this special loophole for churches.

It seems to me that we should instead be giving modest tax breaks to people who work for and people who provide direct services for any organization that brings help to those in need. If those people then want to contribute to the well-being a religious entity of their preference, then such a tax break would make it possible.

I know I'm not really ed-u-ma-cated on this subject, so help me learn! What do you think?

Perfection is Imperfection

First of all, I've finished the Subtle Knife and have made good progress in the final book of Pullman's trilogy, the Amber Spyglass. But we'll chat about that another time...

It struck me as I was driving home last night (and in the past) that I really love those moments in church where everything goes wrong. When the next overhead slide has the wrong words, I rejoice. When someone singing into the microphone forgets the lyrics or plays a wrong chord, I beam with happiness. When things go wrong, Everything is right.

So many churches spend Monday through Saturday desperately hunting down and eliminating these "embarrassing" moments... as if imperfection were abhorrent in the eyes of God. I see it is exactly the opposite. The moment my church has such a polished product that we consecutively have "perfect" services, I'm out the door. (btw: I don't think it will ever happen)

We should celebrate our blemishes! After all, if God is perfect, the only thing that differentiates us from Him may be our imperfections. Although they might not seem wonderful to us, they're all we really have. Isn't there something wonderful about that? If God had wanted us to be nothing more than exact clones of Him throughout our life, don't you think He would have done just that? And yet here we are... warts and all.

And I love it. Now go be imperfect and rejoice!

Simple Question #004a: What is a Church?

Is it the building? Is it the leader? Is it the people? Is it the community efforts? What really is a Church?

I know that Christ said, For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. So what about when I'm all alone? Why isn't that a Church too. What if I'm standing alone at the altar of a well-known cathedral and praying earnestly? I guess that's not really a Church... but why?