Jesus Socialism Meme

B-b-but if you feed everyone, Jesus, that would be <gasp> Socialism.

Thoughts? Do you agree or  disagree? Or do you simply think it's a meme and should not be taken too seriously?

Why I Hate Religion

Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus



“Church is not a museum for good people but a hospital for the broken” from the spoken word poem titled “why I hate religion, but love jesus”

Not sure what this young man's name is name but his YouTube username is bbal1989

Some of my artwork on grace.

What are your thoughts on the church, church or religion?  Do you agree with this video? Disagree with parts? Why?

Best Church Ever!

Ok so Emmaus Road Community Church in Laramie Wyoming may not be the best church in the world...and maybe I shouldn't encourage a competition between churches...and this project is inspired by the church I grew up in.  Anyways, this post is about how much the community and members at Emmaus Road rock.

Three days ago, on Sunday, I announced that there was a family in town that could really use a little help.  I had a wish list consisting of one item per person and asked if the congregation would help out with the gifts.  I gave a little background such as the family just decided to go without Christmas presents this year and that they went several weeks without toilet paper a while back.  The family is currently living in a 5th wheel as well.   I told the congregation that I would love to do more than just the gifts but it would really depend on how many people could help...It was a small service since all the college kids were away, so I was not expecting a lot... However, we will be doing much more than the three suggested gifts. 

Here is a bit of what the church helped the family with in three days. 

 Stockings

 Each family member will get 1 stocking filled with...

  

Personal Hygiene Items 

Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Flossers
Mouthwash
Razors
Deodorant
Hand sanitizer
Lotion
Soap

And a couple small candies.

A Coffee Gift Basket for Mom

Diane from church knows her coffee (and the mom) and offered to get some gourmet coffees.  She found one decent size bag of coffee, 12 single servings in assorted flavors, and 4 flavored dairy creamers.  Go Diane!

I added a scarf for decoration/warmth, a candle, two mugs and a coffee travel cup to the gift basket.
If you haven't noticed yet, I love gift baskets!

$40 for a Medical Alert Bracelet for the Daughter
The daughter in this family has several serious medical conditions and really needs this bracelet.  When I asked the daughter what her and her parents would want this was all she wanted for herself.  She was much more excited about her parents getting gifts.  We still wanted to get her a gift that was for fun and not a necessity.  So we made...


A girly Gift Basket for the Daughter

This basket includes a candle, nail polish, lotion, body spray, shower gel, a loofah and some festive candies. 
Again with the gift baskets :) 

An Amazon Kindle Card for Dad
The dad in this family loves to read.  He has a Kindle, doesn't have room for books, and doesn't have money to buy more.

A $100 Wall-Mart Gift Card for the Family
One church member donated a $100 gift card, which will be perfect.  

&

A Christmas Tree

The tree was donated from a lady that I work with.  

She works at a greenery and was actually looking for a family to give some leftover trees to.
Although this family does not have much living space, the tree will be perfect outside or inside.

$5 from the Dollar tree worth of decorations.
It was simple but really kept decorating the tree from being a family burden.

That was three days worth of love and there is still one more day.  We have around $200 left to spend.  I am looking at purchasing  

A Meal or Two or Three

One gal from our church wanted to buy the family a meal. I am not sure what this will be yet.

I would also like the purchase $50 worth of groceries including

A Christmas Dinner

a small ham

instant mashed potatoes

corn and beans 

3 Movie Tickets

When you work as hard as these guys are, and have their entire lives, you need and deserve to have some fun.

University of Wyoming Gear

The dad is a huge Cowboys fan and I was told by my pastor that he would love anything Cowboys.

I am not sure what this will be yet, but probably a sweatshirt, a hat, or gloves.

An Electric Blanket
Living in a 5th wheel in Laramie Wyoming's weather gets cold.
An electric blanket will keep them from midnight runs to get more propane, keep them warn and save money all at the same time.

2 More Gift Cards

One for the daughter and one for the parents.  

This will be the remainder of the money.

And I gave the daughter (who is a close friend) a small painting

Hey God, I would like to close with a short prayer.  

First of all thank you for placing this family in our lives and town.  Thank you for blessing them this Christmas season.  I pray that you would help these gifts make a significant impact and help this family pay off some of their medical bills.  I pray for the mother and daughter's health and the fathers strength.  Please please please lord help this project expand so that we can make some major changes in the community.  This is for me, but I would love to see our church do this for more than one family in the future.

Thank you for softening the hearts of those you have blessed. 

Amen!

Update: I absolutely believe that the church should be the ones taking care of the poor. It is the churches job, not the governments. I do not, however, believe that adding anything to the gospel is appropriate. If it become "Jesus + serving the poor" then it is not Biblical. Also, sharing the Gospel is a humans most basic need. Sharing the gospel should be the priority.

Sojourner's Truth

"That man over there say that women needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen childern, and seen 'em most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talks 'bout this ting in de head; what this they call it? ('Intellect' whispered someone near) "That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or nigger's rights? (keep?) If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't ye be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he say women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothin' to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn de world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, de men better let 'em. Obliged to ye for hearin' on me, and now ole Sojourner hasn't got nothin' more to say…"

Speech given by Sojourner Truth at a Woman's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio in 1851

Up From Slavery - Interactive

Any thoughts?

I Rise

Dr. Maya Angelou experienced racism throughout but it only made her stronger and added to her faith. In addition to poetry she wrote plays and books, danced, and was an actress. She also taught in Egypt and Ghana. After her return she was asked by Dr . Martin Luther King to serve and the Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

After King’s assination she worked with James Baldwin on her famous book I know why the caged bird sings.

Find the rest of Maya Angelou's story on her website.

Still I Rise

Phenomenal Woman

The Real Solution

A while back I wrote a post commenting on the topic of Global Healthcare and how I think that the ideal solution would be people (especially the church) taking care of others, so that the government doesn't need to.  I have a minor lack of trust in the American population and in response do not think that people helping people to the point of there not being a need for government assistance is an unrealistic and naive ideal.

I would like to show you a video of some people who, I am ecstatic to say, are proving me wrong.

A video of the Good Shepherd Clinic in Spearfish, SD.

Why Christian Music Sucks!!!

People in one of my classes seem to hate Christian music.  They also don't like Christians or anything to do with them.  They didn’t know that a band they listen to, Underoath, was a Christian band.  When they found out they decided to mock Christian music instead of admitting that Christians were capable of producing valid work.  Their reasons for why Christian music sucks are below along with my somewhat frustrated responses.

1. “If you have a crappy band, just start calling yourselves a Christian Band and you will have no problem getting fans.*”

Yes, there are bad Christian bands the same as there are bad secular bands, but when we consider that Christian record labels are fairly small in comparison to others it seems a little less likely that they would become famous.   If a band found out they stink and then switched to a Christian record label it would typically mean that they switched to a smaller label.  I think that bands have to be decent based on fans, their music samples, and playing small gigs before they can get signed (I could be wrong).

It could be assumed that there are Christians who like music simply because it is Christian (I am not sure why it is bad to like something simply because you want to support the group or cause) Maybe they like the lyrics, stage presence, like the beat or another specific quality.  All of these are valid reasons to like a band.  Many people like hip hop music for the beats, even if they believe that the chauvinistic lyrics are wrong and unintelligent.  Even if these are people's reasons for liking music, these are valid reasons to like a band and indicate that the music is good, not bad.

2. An example of a bad concept (in a graphic design class) could be “all those Christian Band Cd covers where its just people staring, like morons. Maybe they are staring at God.*”

Well most small startup bands have this problem with their CD covers. They don’t have the money to get a great CD cover, however, if you look at Invisible Creature (a Christian Design firm in Seattle) or Demon Hunter, a Christian band that has great design, you will see that not all Christian CD covers have terrible design.

Christian music often has extremely deep lyrics and concepts in their music.  These concepts often lead to great package design.


Quote 1 and 2 = debunked, I guess Christian music isn't the worst thing ever.


**Remember that these quotes (reasons for why Christian music sucks) come from some boys who just found out one of their favorite bands was a pretty famous Christian band.

Here are my favorite 13 Christian heavy bands and here are 13 more.  See for yourself.

Second Round of Christian Rock Bands

Alright guys, people are requesting music so here is your second round of 13 Christian Rock Bands.  There is no order.  I know that this list could be altered and made better.  I replaced bands and thought of more throughout the process but I had to stop.  I am curious to know what you favorites are.  I do apologize for the lack of older bands.  I didn't really get into the scene until 2005 so I missed a lot of the greats.

My first list - My favorites

1. August Burns Red

2. As I Lay Dying

3. As Cities Burn

4.Living Sacrifice

5. Relient K - arguably pop punk but they are on this list anyway. : )

6. FireFlight

7.Number One Gun

8.Zao

9.Emery

10.Becoming the Archetype

11. POD

12. The Almost

13. Children 18:3

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GRACE

Grace is Queer

This poster is hard for me because I chose to use topics that I am against and raise fairly strong emotional responses.  For example my biological father was murdered by a member of the KKK and in high school my dad's (adoptive/ real) car was bombed in our driveway.  The poster is telling the viewer that "we are called to forgive everyone," even the people that have done this things to me. 

I know that the call to action for this poster is not nearly as as easy to do as it is to say.  I know that forgiveness is a difficult everyday decision that we can actively make.

God, please help us to forgive 

those who sin against us.  

Lead us not into temptation 

but deliver us from evil...

Amen!

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Don't Blame the Dark for Being Dark

I am not saying that people shouldn't or wont be held responsible for their actions.  There are consequences; however, we should not be blaming the victim.  

This is a call to Christians to reach out to others and show the gospel of love instead of preaching and expecting people to understand.

Check out more posters at Grace is a Bit Queer.

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What if?

I have a couple classes where people bash Christians on a daily basis.  It gets annoying because most of these people don't know much about Christianity.  It is also frustrating because our society no longer sees the many great projects that Christians do.  They associate Christian with bigot and ignorant, not graceful and loving.  

What if things were different? 

Check out my website to see some ways that we can make things differenet.

Grace is a Bit Queer

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The Righteous don’t need a Savior

Grace is Queer

The healthy don't need a doctor

More about this poster.

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Hey Fred, God Loves Gays

Read more about this poster and others at my site titles "Grace is a Bit Queer."

If Jesus loved the murderer on the cross next to him, I would be willing to bet that he loves gays as well.  God loves the glutton and the lustful (both of which are addressed in the Bible more than homosexuality.  There is not a person on this earth that has fallen short of the glory of God and there is not a person that God doesn't or can't love. 

It is hard to grasp but God even loves Fred Phelps.
Even though I do believe his hate makes God soooooo Sad.

It is easy to think "God doesn't like that person, or this person because...."  I would argue that God may not like someone's actions, but there is no way that I would argue or could be convinced that there is a person whom God doesn't love.

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Is Global Heath Care the Real Solution?

Many people are looked down upon when they are opposed to government aid. A girl in one of my classes said that “people who are against health care are stupid and ignorant.” I disagree. This girl in my class could be seen as ignorant because it was clear, as she continued talking, that she had no idea what many people who opposed health care actually think or believe.

There are several reasons for being opposed to global health care (I am not necessarily opposed but I do see it going terribly wrong as it has in other countries). The main reason is that the church should be addressing grace issues. It is not the government’s job to involve itself in people’s everyday life. It is our job as individuals and Christians to be helping the people that don’t have health care.

There is a church in Spearfish, South Dakota, which had several doctors and nurses in their congregation. This church chose one night a week and opened the basement up for free heath care from these professionals for the entire community (not just the church). This is what we should be seeing everywhere. If a church has doctors, financial advisers, artists, tradesmen, mathematicians the church should be using these skills to be help people who can not help themselves.

Making health care a government issue could make situations like this illegal or greatly reduce them. The government could also start regulating more of our medical procedures. I have a friend who was a missionary in Mexico for a couple years. When she had her second child in Mexico the hospital forced her to take drugs that she had previously had the option to in the United States. This is just one example of how government control in our health care is dangerous.

I agree that it is not alright for people to be dying because they cant afford to go to the doctor and that something needs to be done. I do not believe that the government providing global health care is the best option. It may seem to be the most realistic at the moment, but if every one who supports global health care stepped up and helped someone, the need for the government may dissipate and be taken care of.

This is a challenge to the churches in America to start using their resources for people who need it.

Violence Against the GLBTQ Community

The Crazy People In Kansas - They are NOT an accurate representation of Jesus.

Can You Really “Hate the Sin and Love the Sinner”

My friend was wondering if it really is possible to love the sinner and hate the sin, if a persons actions are such a huge part of who a person is. My simple answer is “yes, you can love someone that you disagree with.”

I have experienced this many times in my life. I worked at a residential treatment facility. Some of the kids that I worked with had beat up siblings, raped siblings and other people. They attacked me and other staff on a regular basis. I don’t believe that these behaviors are healthy or beneficial. I can honestly say that I hated the behaviors and loved the kids. Not only was it the children’s behaviors but often times mental conditions such as Anti-Social Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, or Schizophrenia. The disorders were a part of them and their lives. I hate Anti-Social Personality Disorder* but not the girls. I still go back and visit them. I go back because I miss them. Some of them still have these same problems but I can still say they are all great kids.

Another examples is my best friend. I love her more than everyone but 4 people (my husband, parents, and grandma). My freshman year of college and her senior year of high school she did a lot of not so smart things. Many of the decisions she made were not positive and they hurt her in various ways. I didn’t like her choices, they made me sad and sometimes angry. Through it all she was still my best friend. She is still my best and was a bridesmaid at my wedding.  Just as a side note she is currently producing some rockin-awesome graphic design work.

In my life, there have been many more examples of not liking a person’s actions or their choices but still loving the person.  I do think that the phrase is a bit trite, but I do think that the concept is possible.

**I would not consider any of these disorders a sin. The actions that these disorders lead to would be i.e. Anti-Social Personality Disorder is common in many serial killers.

Video
We are not arguing the same point and at times, I think we would disagree, but I thought he had some good things to say.

This guy makes a lot of good points.
His Blog

1:44 Love is patient…You are patient with the crap in other peoples lives. You don’t have to love the actions that people make. You should be patient with an alcoholic family member while still guiding them.



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Truth is Truth is Truth

My husband and I recently discussed the idea of judging others before we get to know them. More than just judging them but judging their beliefs.

The end of the conversation was interesting because my husband was able to put the conversation, and the point that I was trying to make, into perfect wording. “so, what you’re trying to say is that we should recognize the truth in all belief systems before we judge them.” Even though I believe that truth and wisdom come from God, I also believe that the same truth can be expressed through various terms, and wisdom can be possessed by non-Christians and Christians alike.

We can better ourselves through understanding others’ wisdom as well as learn more about our own. Another religion may not include Jesus being the one and only savior, but that does not give Christians the right to devalue the wisdom from the belief system. The same would be expected of a non-Christian in regards to the Christian faith.

We all should be able to respect and understand someone else’s belief without believing it. Unfortunately humans seem to have a hard time with that. The ignorance goes both ways. You hear Christians disrespect other beliefs all the time and I can promise that I have heard non-Christians mock and bash Christian beliefs on a regular basis.

Response to How Can You Be Sure That God Loves You?

How Can I Be Sure That God Loves Me?  Soulforce.com video and video.google video
By: Reverend Mel White

In this sermon, Mel White begins by explaining how Universities (campus ministries) and Christians are the two groups that show the most hostility toward him and his partner. At one of these Universities a young gay boy went up and asked how Mel White was “sure that God loved him.” White begins to explore various ways to explain God’s love. He addresses science and history and decides that neither are going to help this boy believe that God loves him. White then addresses the possible ways that the Bible has been misinterpreted and concludes that this will not help. Maybe the person of Jesus will help people understand God’s love.

White then decides that the life and actions of Jesus will help prove that God loves gay people too. Jesus loves all outcasts. Jesus was an outcast. He was born an “illegitimate child to a teenage mother.” He was poor, homeless, an illegal alien (in Egypt). Jesus was a person of color. He was headstrong and disobedient and “made the radical right church leaders of the day every time he spoke.”

Jesus not only was an outcast but loved the outcasts. White discusses several well known New Testament stories in which Jesus interacts with outcasts and sinners. These stories, all based on loving the outcasts, included Jesus turning the tables, the bleeding woman who touched his robe, the centurion, and the Samaritan woman.*

The sermon did a wonderful job of showing that Jesus loved and died for everyone especially the outcast. God made everyone, even those who are seen as flawed by society, and God loves every single person on this earth.

More Soulforce.com videos 

*Maybe I will discuss some of these stories in more detail.

Letter From God

My child (use your own or a friends name),

I love you more than anyone else ever could (John 15:1; Romans 5:8). I created you and formed your physical features myself. I didn’t miss one detail nor did I make any mistakes and I continue to fashion you today (Psalm 138:8), for My work is perfect (psalm 139:13-16; Deuteronomy 32:4). Even before you were born I adopted you for My very own (Ephesians 1:5). I’ve given you My most prized possession – My Son Jesus Christ (Romans 8:32). Indeed you are very special to Me and I enjoy being around you all the time (Psalm 16:3; Hebrews 13:15).

I accept you exactly as you are (Romans 15:7). Don’t believe what Satan the father of lies tells you (John 8:44) – in My eyes you are as beautiful as My Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). Remember this – He had no stately form or majesty that caused people to look at Him. Nor did He possess physical beauty or an appearance that would attract people to Him (Isaiah 53:2). In fact, his appearance became disfigured beyond human recognition and yet He embodied all the qualities which reflect My character (Isaiah 53:14), which I am pleased to develop in you (Colossians 1:19; Hebrews 13:1).

In this way I have sought to make you happy as you derive satisfaction from My likeness that is growing within you (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galations 4:19). Do not compare yourself to others because I have made you unique (2 Corinthians 10:12). All the physical features, abilities, and background that I have given you play a special part in shaping you for My plans (Exodus 4:11, 12). The world chooses on the basis of beauty and talent, but I choose on the basis of the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). I have given you “thorns in the flesh” to teach you to depend on Me (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) and to remind you to Whom you belong (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Remember, don’t look to others to determine your beauty for you are desirable in My eyes (Psalm 45:10, 11). Come then, let us, you and I together shame the wise and the strong (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

Love you,

Your King (Psalm 45)

Just Some Music

If you don't like heavy music these artists might not be for you. But I like these bands and they all have positive lyrics.

Demon Hunter's Website

Chevelle's Website

The Showdown's Website

Haste The Day's Website

Showbread's Website