The Office
So I have to admit that I watched "The Office" last week. It's one of those weird kind of shows that I can't really put my finger on. It is not exactly funny, at least not in the traditional sense of funny. You don't laugh when you watch it, you only laugh later when you think about it. Kind of like "Spinal Tap" or "A Mighty Wind" or something along those lines.
Anyway, last week I did laugh out loud at one scene. There is a character in the show who is fairly reserved and kind of a pain. Last week they were playing a game of what three books would you want to have with you on a desert Island.
Her answer - "The Bible." "Well, you still get two more" they told her.
"Ok, The Purpose Driven Life." was her answer. "Ok, you still have one more."
"No thanks, that's it."
OK, now when Steve Carell or John Stewart pokes fun at Christians, they usually poke fun at Christian culture - not the faith itself. And you know what? Just like this instance, they are often dead on. That the conservative Christian community believes that the end all and be all of ALL Christian literature of ALL TIME consists of one book written in the last few years - that to me is hilarious. Not because Purpose Driven Life isn't a good book, it is a huge success for Rick Warren and has done a lot of good for a lot of people.
Think about it - Warren is like the Bill Gates of the church. You know, if you own a PC, you are running a program from Bill Gates. Well, if you are involved in a church, then chances are you are running a program of Warren's as well. The funny thing about that is that it doesn't matter even what denomination you are a part of. Methodist, Presbyterian, EV Free, etc... It doesn't make much difference anymore, because everybody is still reading the Purpose Driven Life. Somebody asked one of my professors, "Who is the most influential preacher in the Restoration Movement?" His answer - "Rick Warren." Forget the fact that Rick Warren is not a PART of the Restoration movement, he still has an enormous influence there.
I think that all of this points toward a positive trend, and even if I have been poking a little fun here, I don't mean any harm by it. The Church, the Church with a capital "C", the universal body of Christ seems to be focusing more on what unites it than on what divides it. And that is a very big positive. That there are teachings and methodologies that apply any time, any where and a Methodist minister and a Lutheran pastor can sit down and talk about small groups and connection events and share strategies - well that's just cool.
Even though there is a part of me that is too anti-establishment to really jump for joy when one preacher seems to dominate the popular Christian culture, I think there is still a lot of value there. I just have to laugh when even Hollywood notices.
Anyway, last week I did laugh out loud at one scene. There is a character in the show who is fairly reserved and kind of a pain. Last week they were playing a game of what three books would you want to have with you on a desert Island.
Her answer - "The Bible." "Well, you still get two more" they told her.
"Ok, The Purpose Driven Life." was her answer. "Ok, you still have one more."
"No thanks, that's it."
OK, now when Steve Carell or John Stewart pokes fun at Christians, they usually poke fun at Christian culture - not the faith itself. And you know what? Just like this instance, they are often dead on. That the conservative Christian community believes that the end all and be all of ALL Christian literature of ALL TIME consists of one book written in the last few years - that to me is hilarious. Not because Purpose Driven Life isn't a good book, it is a huge success for Rick Warren and has done a lot of good for a lot of people.
Think about it - Warren is like the Bill Gates of the church. You know, if you own a PC, you are running a program from Bill Gates. Well, if you are involved in a church, then chances are you are running a program of Warren's as well. The funny thing about that is that it doesn't matter even what denomination you are a part of. Methodist, Presbyterian, EV Free, etc... It doesn't make much difference anymore, because everybody is still reading the Purpose Driven Life. Somebody asked one of my professors, "Who is the most influential preacher in the Restoration Movement?" His answer - "Rick Warren." Forget the fact that Rick Warren is not a PART of the Restoration movement, he still has an enormous influence there.
I think that all of this points toward a positive trend, and even if I have been poking a little fun here, I don't mean any harm by it. The Church, the Church with a capital "C", the universal body of Christ seems to be focusing more on what unites it than on what divides it. And that is a very big positive. That there are teachings and methodologies that apply any time, any where and a Methodist minister and a Lutheran pastor can sit down and talk about small groups and connection events and share strategies - well that's just cool.
Even though there is a part of me that is too anti-establishment to really jump for joy when one preacher seems to dominate the popular Christian culture, I think there is still a lot of value there. I just have to laugh when even Hollywood notices.
posted by Jeff at 10:41 AM
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