Glide

Several years back, my wife and I were in San Francisco visiting our daughter. When Saturday rolled around and we mentioned going to church the next day, she recommended Glide Memorial, where she had been a few times with friends. Well, if you've ever been to San Francisco you know that just about everything there has a pretty liberal feel to it and Glide was no exception. As we sat in church behind a couple of girls with their arms around each other, (I'd guess same-sex couples made up around 10 to 20 percent of the congregation) we felt like a couple of sore thumbs in a large room full of fingers. We're pretty conservative socially, politically, and to my surprise I'm starting to think, religiously. We're used to hearing the Word preached: Sin, repentance, forgiveness, new life, worship. Most of what we heard at Glide was social justice. I have nothing against social justice, but the Knights of Columbus and Kiwanis and Lions clubs could just about be under Glide's umbrella of ministry. I don't think I heard anything about anyone's need for Jesus that day.

I do remember hearing how Glide helps alcoholics break free from their addiction, brings food to the hungry, aid to the handicapped, and acceptance to the GLBT crowd. I thought, "What?!! By that logic, you should be serving alcohol to alcoholics, taking food from the hungry, and crippling the handicapped! It would deliver the same amount of help."

In certain circles, there's a lot of debate over whether we should be focused on our personal relationship with Jesus or loving and serving our neighbor (essentially, Jesus vs social justice). Well I think that's a crazy debate because the answer is so obviously "Both" (Matt 22:37-40).
But as a picture of how far off course Glide has gone, I took this quote from the About Us portion of their website: "In 1967, Cecil [Williams, then-head pastor] ordered the cross removed from the sanctuary, exhorting the congregation instead to celebrate life and living."
Also, from Williams's profile on the site, "His vision for a truly inclusive church has attracted a 10,000 member congregation, an extended family, who reflect the diversity of the world- all races, ages, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations and religions. What brings this community of people together is the common search for acceptance, spiritual growth, and social justice."


Not sure where the spiritual growth is there. Not sure where the end of this post is either. How about here?
/rant

Charitable Giving

Just a reminder...
In case you live in a cave and haven't heard, times are hard for a lot of people right now. Some have lost homes or jobs or both. Some are just overwhelmed by their bills. Increasing numbers of people are seeking help, and decreasing numbers of people are donating help. If by God's grace you happen to be sitting pretty at the moment, consider sending some money to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Red Cross, or whatever charity suits you. Maybe bring some food to a local food shelf. Someday you might be the one looking for help.
Peace out.

You Can't Handle The Truth?

I find it odd that as born-again Christians, many of us hesitate to enter into the amazing truth that God has spoken about us. I could retire a little earlier if I had a nickel for every time I've heard a Christian, even preachers, qualify exciting things that God has done in them personally (or us as a body) by sheepishly adding something along the lines of, "...not that I could have done it without the help of God...". Okay, let's just put that to rest: Most people already knew you couldn't have done it without the help of God! You're not that good.

I'm talking about Christians who wear sinfulness and unworthiness almost like a badge of honor. Are we afraid that if we live like what God says about us is true, we'll fall into pride? I think there's a danger of falling the other way too, and downplaying what God has done in us. I think it's even a form of unbelief. Say for example, the idea that over the years God has cleaned up the way I think. That blows me away! But you never hear it said without the cling-on phrase, "But I still have a lonnng way to go..." Well, of course we do. But I say let's celebrate what God has done. I'm telling you that God HAS cleaned up the way I think. And I'm thankful for it, pure and simple. I have no pride in it, it's His doing. But I take joy in the fact that He is working in me, and I can see the results. If you can't see results in your life, you need to wonder why. If He's given us new life, and a new nature, why do we want to downplay that? Let's get that thing out in the open and see what it'll do! How holy can we possibly live?