christian

Return of the Rant: Leland

Posted by stuartdelony at 2nd August, 2008

Things have been quiet around here for a while, but I’m back…

I saw this over on Brian Alexander’s great blog.

It’s another one of those rah rah statements you always hear floating around youth groups. For those of you who don’t know, Leland is  a girl pant wearing emo Christian whine rockers. Here’s a statement by the band meant to rally youth to live an “opposite way.” Not to be the jerk here, but this sounds good but doesn’t mean anything.

If Lealand wanted to live the opposite way, they’d give their CD’s away for free, tour for free and just hang out with people and share Jesus. It’s easy for bands to preach to kids about living differently when they themselves are living a capitalistic dream.

Are we called to live different? Yes. Is this the way? Nope.

A missions trip to Africa is the answer? If we’re wanting to be different, the answer then is moving to Africa and investing well in the people there. When the Lord says he wants our life he means all of it. Giving your life over doesn’t mean bringing your Bible to work. It’s doing something that you’re completely devoted to for the Lord.

Do you see what I’m saying? Or am I just rambling?

This whole thing is well intentioned, but never lasts. It’s like the experience you have at camp. Kids come home ready to be different, and then when the “camp high” is over, lives moves on as it was.

For them to ask us to live differently, the need to be willing to journey there as well – and I don’t see that happening. They’ll keep playing more shows, pumping out more CD’s and making loads of cash, riding the Chri$tian Marketing Culture lifestyle. Christian Culture isn’t counter culture. It’s religious culture. Christ WAS counter culture, not religious- he left that for the Pharisees in pink sweaters.

Category : Blogroll / Christianity / Jesus / Uncategorized / christian / christian crap / christian culture / christian ministry / christiantity / general / leland / life / people / religion / worship / youth / youth ministry / youth ministry bloggers / youth ministry confession (13) Comment

Tony Jones and Trucker Frank’s Road Trip – Episode 1

Posted by Stuart at 22nd April, 2008

Tony Jones and Trucker Frank hit the road to explore the changing landscape of American Christianity. Frank talks about his life in and out of the church. Great testimony.

[go to part 2 here]

Category : Christianity / Church / Jesus / christ / christian / emergent / faith / life / people / religion / tony jones (3) Comment

My Guest Posting…

Posted by stuartdelony at 10th March, 2008

GuestParking My Guest Posting...

A couple of months back I had Jerome, a wiccan I had met through my blog, post about his spiritual journey. In turn, he asked me to post mine on his blog.

Head on over to Jerome’s blog and read my post here. 

Category : Blogroll / Christianity / Jesus / belief / blog / christian / guest post / life / people / religion / wiccian (2) Comment

The Boss Worship

Posted by stuartdelony at 13th February, 2008

bruce springsteen 3 770350 The Boss Worship

Why is worship music always pretty? You know it sounds so… so nice and holy. We don’t live pretty lives. We don’t have pretty struggles. So why does our worship music seem to only come that way. I mean who started this? Pretty = Holy? It just doesn’t seem right.

Now, I’m not saying that we can’t have any nice, fluffy worship music (ie. Tomlin or Camp) from time to time. All I’m looking for is something with a little more teeth. Something raw and real. Something beaten and broken. If I’m torn up inside, I’m not looking for fluffy worship.

Our lives are hard. Read the psalms. David is not always a happy camper. He was raw and emotional. So why doesn’t our worship music reflect our struggles. Why doesn’t it feel like the grit under our fingernails or the sweat on our brows. Why doesn’t it sound like something raw or rough? Why doesn’t someone like Springsteen write worship music. Just a thought.

Category : Blogroll / Christianity / Church / camp / christian / life / raw / religion / thought / tomlin / worship (8) Comment

Like cheese? Need a good Laugh?

Posted by stuartdelony at 8th January, 2008

cheese oh cheese Like cheese? Need a good Laugh?

Ahhh, there’s nothing I love to laugh at more than Christian cheese. Now, let me say this first. I love the Lord. I just think that most of Christian culture is ridiculous, especially in how they choose portray Christ.

Words don’t do this justice. So just check out this page to enjoy.

My favorite: the Dental Assistant

What’s your favorite?

Category : Blogroll / Funny / Jesus / cheese / christian / humor / laugh / life / people (7) Comment

The Gift Basket

Posted by stuartdelony at 19th December, 2007

IMG 4502 The Gift Basket

I received a Christmas gift basket yesterday. Do you want to know who sent it?

(pause for effect)

The Mormon church.

I won’t say anything more. Just know that I’m laughing right now.

[Note: if you track this blog at all, you'll know why I'm amused. What's inside? That's even better]

Category : Blogroll / Christmas / Funny / christian / gift basket / lds / life / mormon / people / religion (13) Comment

The Order of Your Life

Posted by stuartdelony at 18th December, 2007

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g7H00jNINk]

[ht: LayGuy]

Here, Mormon American Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney claims that his LDS faith will not effect the way he would run the Presidency. He says that his faith does not “exert influence on Presidential decisions.” Ha ha, yeah right.

I’ll tell you this. My faith does influence the way I live and the decisions I make. It must if my faith has any merit at all in my life. I consider myself a follower of Christ first and my status as an American is secondary. Actually I’d say it’s much further back than that.

Here’s how I would order my life. I consider myself a:

  1. Follower of Christ
  2. Husband
  3. Father
  4. Son
  5. Friend
  6. Missionary
  7. American

So my question for you is this: How do you order your life? Do you consider yourself a Christian first or an American first…?

Category : Blogroll / christian / lds / life / mit romney / mitt romney / mormon / order of your life / people / politics / republican (16) Comment
Recent Comments
  • April: LOL!!! It wasn't that bad....but I would agree with Velveet...
  • stuartdelony: Joel, I appreciate your passion and your calling. I think...
  • Joel: I'm a youth Pastor in England and I have a youth ministry de...
  • Jay: Two of my favorites certainly. I'd add the dog collar Dorit...
  • Austin: the doritos dog one was defionatly a great one. but, i agree...
Flickr

follow stuartdelony at http://twitter.com