U2 a religous experience?

I have enjoyed listening to U2 for as long as I can remember. I guess I am a little late in buying into the idea that their music is some form of worship. I watched a free concert of sorts a few months ago, it was entertaining, sort of in a documentary fashion.

Tonight I watched a concert they did in Chicago this year. Just the band doing numbers, shot like you were in the crowd. I have to say that I was more than entertained. In fact a word like convicted comes to mind. I was actually moved, as were some of the guys watching it with me. There is no doubt that their music is a cry to God and humanity to live as God intended us to live. Thanks to tivo I can watch it again, give me a call and we'll watch.............worship together.

Check out the link below for more background on U2 if your like me and slow to see the prophetic nature of their art:
U2 and God

How important is Christmas?

I see people fighting over what to call a Christmas parade or how a store should advertise it's "holiday sale". Then I discover churches are actually cancelling services on Christmas day. To me that sends a very mixed message to the world. How can we seriously complain about the Happy Holiday/Merry Christmas debate, then cancel services on the day we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the World???

We as Christians are more concerned about what corporate America or our local governments call OUR holiday, than actually truly observing the day in the way it was intended. I never read anything in the New Testament about families gathering and lavishing gifts on each other, while gourging on turkey, dressing ham and spice cake. The closest thing to that was 3 wise men bringing gifts to JESUS. (which did'nt happen till about 2 or 3 years later, but Jesus probably was not born on December 25 either)

How many of us have taken the time to prayerfully consider how Jesus wants us to celebrate his birthday? I tend to think at least He would request communion with his followers. We use the excuse that we want to be with family, but who did Jesus say his family was? Since it is Jesus birthday I want to spend it with His family.

Women's Roles

I guess since one's views on women's roles in the Church are considered an important distinctive in my denomination I had best establish where I stand. I confess I am not sure, though I have a feeling previous convictions of mine have been incorrect and based upon faulty teaching and incorrect translations of scripture.

It is clear in the first century church women played prominent roles. The were deacons and even led house churches. There were women missionaries and some would even claim there were women apostles. Paul certainly sends us conflicting messages in his letters, but women certainly served with his blessing. And it is no small point that Christ ate with women, talked with women in public (when this was taboo in first century Palestine) and had women be the first to witness his resurrection.

Obviously there are differences in gender and for a good reason, our differences combine to form a perfect or complete union. I say we are different but equal, but how that is played out seems to differ with different folks. An example is maybe a Baptist deacon is perfectly fine with his wife working.....long as SHE has dinner on the table at 6:00 every night, but heaven forbid she be allowed to represent her church on a convention commitee.

I am still trying to figure out where I stand, but I do know that it pains me greatly that when men and women are in study groups together, that women will not pray. I don't think that is what God intended. We have taken a social more of the first century and applied it to the 21st.

I am not arrogant enough yet to say I have a definitive answer yet or maybe I am afraid I'll be labeled a "liberal" because I am seeking the truth about people who make up the majority of our community in the kingdom.

SBC not the only ones

Witches Feud

Hopefully our disagreements don't result in this. And I am still claiming the SBC for now, though not everything that comes out of this Convention.