Author: Wick

So I’m about 3/4 of the way through “The Shack“, a book written by William Young. Apparently, it’s been a buzz for a while. I’d never heard much about it, until I accidentally picked it up one day a few months ago. The cover looked interesting enough. I turned it over to see what the back told me. Immediately I saw a quote by Michael W. Smith, recommending the book. I did the only sensible thing: I put it down. No way I was gonna buy/read some random Christian Fiction bestseller (okay, I’m addicted to Dekker, but other than that.).

So here I am, almost finished with the book, and I have a GIANT recommendation for it’s author and publishers. I hope they’re listening among the thousands of people who read my blog on a daily basis (or at least annual basis). Ready? Here it is:

Publish a leather bound, or at least remarkably boring looking covered edition. Call it whatever you want. Do NOT put quotes by famous Christian people on the outside of it. Don’t advertise that it’s out in Christian bookstores or on Christian radio stations. Simply allow it to exist. This will give cynical people the ability to check the book out on their own, without proclaiming it to the world (if they read in public).

I’m more than a little ashamed to say, I did not even think about reading “The Shack” because of how obvious it would be to anyone in public that I was reading “The Shack” (and yes, largely due to Smitty’s recommendation on the back). Although now I know the only ones who would judge me for reading “The Shack” are people who have not read “The Shack”.

Thankfully, along the same lines as the movie “Fireproof” recently, my wife told me I was not allowed to judge a piece of literature/cinema/art, until I’d actually experienced it. So we committed to reading it together. Have I mentioned I love my wife?

Come back tomorrow for a few (still no spoilers) thoughts on the book….

How do we know? Because Tim Lahaye said so of course!! According to Lahaye, too many people don’t like Obama, and when the “antichrist” comes, everyone will like him.

How will that be possible?

Without flinching, Mr.Lahaye went right into his explanation: Because everyone who loves Jesus will disappear at the “rapture”, making it possible for everyone who’s left to swear allegiance to the antichrist, of course. So yeah, Obama is “involved” in end times – with his “socialist” agenda and anti-life propaganda, he’s simply “preparing the way” for the antichrist. It all makes perfect sense.

Oh good. I’m glad this guy is allowed to get on TV and represent a major line of evangelical belief. If people watch/listen, and have read the Bible at some point, they should smell something foul. I’m excited to know that so many people will show up to church Sunday, hungry for answers, and asking questions that should have been addressed a long time ago.

Where exactly did all this rapture talk come from? (is it Biblical?)

Is there one anti-christ that we should be on the look out for? (there are many people who are/have been/will be against the things of Christ, watch out for all of them who try to lead)

We’re used to saying things like “ah well, it’s not that important what people believe, as long as they believe in Christ”. I can get down with that. But I still think, especially as world events begin to line up (again) with “rapture theology”, that we should be discussing exactly what we know from scripture, and what we’ve invented. The Kingdom work here and now suffers because so many are focusing on being “rapture-ready”, or simply believe that checking the “I believe” box fulfills what God has called them to in this world.

I guess that begs the question: is it possible to believe actively in rapture theology, and still be faithful to the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ?

Answer: Yup. Totally. I’ve seen it. I think I see it on a regular basis.

So why not just leave it well enough alone? I don’t know. For most of my teenage years, I knew the rapture was fact, and lived towards it. When I began to discover the truth about where the things I knew came from, it deepened my journey, and delivered much more Hope to the Gospel message in my life/world. I want that same deliverance for those I love…

Maybe you’ve run into someone in the midst of a public sacrifice. Someone who announces without prompting how difficult these 40 days are going to be, because they’re already missing ________ so much. (they’ve given it up for Lent, after all).

Maybe you’ve run into someone who thinks the Lent tradition is old school. It’s too “Catholic” (the branch of Christianity, not “world-wide”). Cutting edge post-post-moderns can do just fine without these types of traditions thank you very much.

Or maybe someone in the middle. Some cloistered monk of a soul who thinks people should celebrate Lent, but only privately; hiding any sign of sacrifice or self-denial at all. They make fun of the 13 year olds who dramatically give up caffeinated beverages or boy bands or chocolate, etc…and thank God they’ve “matured” to the point where they can do the whole thing privately, like any good Christian should.

I’m not a fan of any of these, but at the same time, I recognize especially during this Lent season – my own humanity leads me towards celebrating even a holy season like this with fallen motives.

The Truth stands, however, that no matter where we stand during these 40 days, we all stand in need of God. We look forward to the Celebration of Easter together, all on the same ground, eager for Jesus Christ and the work accomplished / being accomplished in Him.

We are invited during this season to purposefully remember. To remember both as individuals and as a community. To recognize our place before God. To recognize our oneness with each other. To recognize a beautiful tension of finding ourselves as sinners transformed as saints. To give of ourselves in a way that leads to a life deepened in relation to God and others.

To stop writing such hippy-ish sounding blogs. 🙂

It all seemed so much simpler on the felt-boards…