Yes, it’s true. I’ve tangled with Doug Pagitt today. This was a heated, sordid affair. Let me explain.

On my facebook, Doug Paget (a founder/leader of the Emergent Church and pastor at Solomon’s Porch) sent me a picture of a fuzzy, cuddly puppy. You know the ones I’m talking about. You get them forwarded/spammed from person to person for no apparent good reason. He’s really got some nerve!

I usually just delete them, but this being a fuzzy, cuddly puppy spam from prominent Emergent leader, Doug Pagitt, I couldn’t let this go unanswered. I couldn’t take it. Truth may be relative, but my theology on on spam/forwarding comes strictly from Dr. John “I hate everyone” MacArthur’s book of backhanded pimp slapping. That’s right I sent Mr. Emergent an email referring to him as a dirty “manwhore” and re-forwarded him back with said fluffy, cuddly puppy in triplicate.

Then to make matters worse, Pagitt apologized graciously and went back to yoga and contemplative thinking.

In my anger, I cursed Rob Bell and Brian McLaren, then went down to a street corner to proselytize anyone who walked by. Then I felt justified.

[Note: this post is to be read with thick sarcasm and in jest. Most of the events are true (including fuzzy, cuddly puppy, the interchange, and the graciousness of Mr. Pagitt).]

It all happened last night. The kids had been in bed for a while… then we heard something. There was laughing and whining. Aida and James came running in our room. Aida was excited. James was devastated.

Evidently a cock fight had erupted in their room. Weeks before someone gave the kids some glass figurines. James got a rooster and Aida had a bunny. From what we can tell… Aida and James put the bunny and rooster head to head in a fight.  We’ve always raised our kids to know that cock fights are illegal, but sometimes they act out in rebellion.

The bunny and the rooster went at it and in the end we learned a valuable lesson: Bunnies can kill roosters.

Let our tragedy and moral failings be a learning lesson for your families.

Here is a picture of Aida cheering in victors; a true sign of her unrepentant state. Pray for her soul.

It’s the end scene from Braveheart. I was at a conference where John Eldredge was speaking and he described this scene as the most accurate portrayle of Christ’s death (both symbolically and physically). He was beaten, broken, taunted and defamed, but it was all for one purpose. ”Freedom” says it all.

And the scene that follows the death. Men with the heart and charge of their leader, changed forever and giving it all in a fight. Freedom was given to us by Christ, but it’s our fight to claim it and keep it.

Thank you Lord today for your gift of freedom! 

I’ve started a guys group called Xn Fight Club, that meets in my home Thursdays. It’s comprised of mainly non-believers and no-longer-believers with some not-sure-what-I-believers. I want to share part of a conversation we delved into this week.

Well let me also let it be known, that this is not a bible study or anything of that nature. I’m looking to wake up this group of 7 young men (ages 16-19). And my goal isn’t to make them good, because I was reminded this week that “Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but came to make the dead alive (Ravi Zacharias).” Life is what I’m seeking and it’s what these boys need.

Back to the conversation.

This was something I take no credit in, I was just blessed to be apart of this. We began to talk about what their thought about God were. Brian (not his real name), one of the young men said that, “I don’t want to be a Christian because I’ve never seen a good one. And besides every time I go to church I either fall asleep or get an endless list of rules I have to do. I’ve tired it and there’s nothing there for me.” I love openings like that one.

I discussed with the rest of the group about their opinions on the subject. Most agreed inpart to what he was saying.

Then it came to me (meaning, not my own thoughts) and I asked them: ”What if we’ve missed the point of Christianity. What if all you see is wrong! What if you’re right. But would it piss you off if these people were standing between you and finding true life in Christ?”

Brian rebutted, ”You mean, like, someone’s got my million dollars in this room and they won’t let me get to it? Well I’d do anything to push past them and get what is mine! Da*n them, they need to get out of my way!”

Then I asked them if they’d be willing to forget what they’ve seen, heard, or been through and embark upon a journey into finding out who Christ really was. And remarkably they said, “yes.” These young men don’t want to hear what they’re doing wrong. They aren’t looking to follow any rules or conform. But what they do want is a journey, an adventure and someone to walk it out with. They want a Savior King, but just haven’t seen Him yet. Pray that their eyes are opened to the Lord as we continue on. It’s going to get interesting.

[to be continued...]