DRIVE IN Church?

I recently caught word of a Church in Scottsdale, AZ. I heard that it was based off of drive-in movies. The Church is called Glass & Garden Drive In Church, and was founded by a man named Floyd Goulooze. Goulooze came to Arizona in 1963 and based on the expectation that the Phoenix area would be growing at a exponential rate, bought 7 acres of land. With the land he built a church and an adjacent drive in facility, complete with drive in movie speakers. He had a vision of preaching from the pulpit and having listeners drive up to the speaker and hear the message from they're AM radio.

The idea of a drive in church makes me want to vomit. If this does not reflect our individualized consumer culture I don't know what does. The idea of a drive in church seems cool for about a second, but once you realize how you are treating the Church and how that is not truly the Church, it is one of the most absurd thoughts I've come across. This idea of a drive in church is so far off the mark of what Jesus and Paul teach the church ought to be. 

There is a line that many churches tip toe around. It's the line of how to be in the world but not of it. It's commonly become known as being 'relevant'. There are certain churches that take this too far, and others that do not give it a thought. I believe there needs to be a balance. Paul preaches heavily on how to be in the world but not of it. Christians make it into a ministry vision and another way to have meetings and delay actual missional ministry. 

Churches like Willow Creek try hard to bring people in to the Church through having a comfortable environment. While this may not be inherently wrong, there needs to be a balance of how to draw people to Church. The same is true for the Glass & Garden Drive In Church; they have tried to create an environment that makes it easy for people to consume the Gospel; but has this effort to create a comfortable place gone too far? I think so; like I said earlier there needs to be a balance of reaching people and having a comfortable place. What if comfortable meant nice and welcoming people instead of letting the comfy chairs or drive in speakers to all the work? 

One major problem I have with this idea is that when people drive up in their cars and listen to a sermon through their radio, there is no community. A person could drive up and drive out without saying a word to anybody. Like I said earlier, it feeds our culture in believing that consumerism and individualism are good things, when the Bible says otherwise.

I am going out to Phoenix in a month and am going to try to experience this "church". I want to drive in, get out of the car and knock on peoples windows and get to know them. Why not give it a try? Make people uncomfortable, and make them question. Maybe pull out some lawn chairs and grill food for people and reveal a glimpse of community to them. 

The Brilliance of Jesus

When most people think of Jesus in our modern day they think of a nice guy, but not very brilliant. This understanding deprives us of the practical power of his teachings. I have been reading a book by Dallas Willard called 'The Divine Conspiracy,' if you want a book to challenge what you believe in and how you act in your life, this book will rattle you a bit. I mean Purpose Driven Life was like a 7 out of 10 rattle my cage book, this is like a 56 out of 10 rattle my cage book. That wasn't a good comparison because they are two totally different books. This is what Dallas says...

"If you play a game of word association today, in almost any setting, you will collect some familiar names around the world such as smart, knowledgeable, intelligent, and so forth. Einstein, Bill Gates, and the obligatory rocket scientists, will stand out. But one person who pretty certainly will not come up in this connection is Jesus. 

Here is a profoundly significant fact: In our culture, among Christians and non-Christians alike,  Jesus Christ is automatically disassociated from brilliance or intellectual capacity. Not one in a thousand will spontaneously think of him in conjunction with words such as well-informed, brilliant, or smart. 

Far too often he is regarded as hardly conscious. He is looked on as a mere icon, a wraithlike semblance of a man, fit for the role of a sacrificial lamb or alienated social critic, perhaps, but little more."

Jesus was the most intelligent scientist. He took five loaves of bread and two fish and multiplied it to feed five thousand (Matthew 14:15-21) 

He was the ultimate doctor. He healed countless amounts of people from city to city He visited. He even brought one man back to life (John 1).

He is the best planner. (Jeremiah 29:11...'For I know the plans I have for you")

It's amazing to me how often we forget how great and big our God is. He is bigger than my mind will ever be able to comprehend. I cannot fit him inside a 'little white box'  like that old camp song claims I can do. I should never doubt the God who fed thousands and thousands with a couple loaves of bread. I should never question the God who healed Lazarus and still heals today. God is active and alive in our world and I tend to miss it too often. 

It's ironic to me how I can doubt and question what God is doing in my life as if I know what is better for me. I'm talking about the guy who created me, how ignorant can I be?

What are your thoughts on Dallas Willard's words?

LORD'S GYM

Yeah that's right, a Christian gym. Exclusively for Christians. It's about time Christians have they're own gym. I mean come on they have basically everything else Christianized. They got they're own clothing line, music industry, and soon grocery stores and probably even cars will be Christianized. But now, GYMS?

A gym in Florida called 'Lord's Gym' is for Christians who want to work out in a "wholesome" place. At Lord's Gym faith is as important as form. Exercise classes include yo-god (thats Christian for yoga), praisercise (thats Christian for jazzercise), and even gospel spinning. I just got so excited I peed a little! I've been waiting for praisercise! 

Don't go to this gym wanting to hear Rihanna or Justin Timberlake, no no not up in this gym. The music over the speakers is all "new agey Christian music" as the owner of the gym puts it. Be careful though because if your on the treadmill while listening to Chris Tomlin you might fall asleep. I suggest if your going to lift weights you listen to Third Day for some hard rockin' motivational work out.

The gym even has artwork! There is a floor-to-ceiling mural of Daniel in the Lion's Den for motivation to beat that lion your facing on the treadmill, or that three pounds your trying to lose. 

It keeps getting better. I know, I know, your thinking this is already amazing how could it get any better? Well, a juice bar that's how! After your faithful "wholesome" workout centered on God, why not re-energize yourself with a smoothie. Yes smoothies, three choices actually! Choose from the 'Land of Milk and Honey' smoothie, 'John the Baptist' smoothie (cannibalism?), or try the 'Joseph's Surprise' smoothie (that sounds kinky and disgusting). I know your wondering well do I get a tall, grande, or vente? Well Lord's Gym doesn't use Starbucks sizes, no no they created they're own sizes. You can choose one of those three smoothies in two sizes, David (small) or Goliath (BIG) How did I not see that one coming!?

Now I know your already putting on your work-out clothes so you can go get spiritually fed and feel great about yourself while praisercizing or yo-goding. But you have to think twice about what you wear to Lord's Gym because there is a dress code. The owner says women should wear long pants, a long sleeved shirt, a winter hat (you know the kind bank robbers wear?), and....well actually all they're skin should be covered. The owner said we want men to be able to workout without being tempted to lust or sin. Also women will not have to be self conscious about being 'checked-out.' It's all about creating a comfortable environment. 

What a gym! I don't know about you but I'm in and it's actually pretty affordable. I went and got my membership yesterday and now I can workout there anytime I want. If your interested, it's only 10 good deeds a month. Pretty affordable I think. 

CRIBS

I recently just got back from vacation in North Carolina. I have family around the Charlotte area that I went to go visit who live near a lake called Lake Norman. Lake Norman is a massive lake with a lot of lake front property. There's literally millions and millions of dollars around this lake. This is one of the homes that I saw that just about made me puke. To give you a reference, we were driving around neighborhoods for about 30 minutes and for 20 of those minutes all the houses were this size. That's 20 minutes of going about 15 mph, you do the math on how many homes we passed that were this size. The crazy thing is (if that's possible) is that this was only a fraction of the rest of the lake front property. 

Houses everywhere were this size. When we were driving by these houses my stomach was in knots. For many reasons. I cannot imagine living in a house that large. It could fit 5 family's and I'm guessing only 2-4 people live in homes that size on average. What possess' people to purchase a home that expensive and large? Who really needs that much space? Maybe I'm over-frugal. I just feel like people buy these big homes and nice cars to hide behind the real problems in life. So they can give the idea that everything is great and fine and no problems ever happen. But it's most likely exactly the opposite. To live up to a standard that no one really cares they live up to except themselves. Its pointless.

The worst part of this for me is that I'm willing to bet some of these home owners call themselves Christians. I'm not saying buying a house that big is necessarily wrong, sure you might be able to put together some reasons, but calling yourself a Christian when you live in a multi million dollar home isn't hard to do. Because the Christianity they know isn't hard. ( They probably watch Joel Osteen on Sunday mornings and call that church).

I would feel better about the situation if a Christian owned that home and constantly showed people God's love through the home, inviting people over, letting people stay, opening up the home to anyone who needs a place to stay. But doing that becomes harder when the possessions in the home are luxurious and pricy. When you start believing it is all yours, then you won't allow yourself to show God's love through your home. 

BIBLEOPOLY!

Anyone want to play a faith filled family friendly Christian version of Monopoly? Try BIBLEOPOLY! (I just barfed a little) Start 'In the Beginning' (I wonder if you start out naked? If so I want to play) and travel around the board to different BIble cities! Instead of going to jail like in the original Monopoly, in Bibleopoly you go to Meditation. Are the creator's of this game serious? In Bibleopoly good deeds are rewarded (bad theology anyone?) 

The object of the game is to build a church in one of the Bible cities. In Bibleopoly you cannot win by destroying your opponents. You only win by assisting the fellow players. Cooperation is what allows you to gain the things necessary to build your church and be a wiener (I mean winner). 

I bet your wondering how to build a church in Bibleopoly, well you earn Cornerstone pieces by helping a fellow player or doing community service. You then make offerings to earn the bricks and steeple to build a church. 

I bought my Bibleopoly on www.WeMakeDumbChristianGames.com You can order your Bibleopoly there along with other terrible Christian games.

Just curious: If this is Bibleopoly why isn't Jesus in the game? 

church signs

 

The first sign makes me laugh....and according to the second sign God doesn't spend time on earth. (some people should not be allowed to read the Bible)

The third sign makes me really want to attend they're church, they seem really cool. I can picture the sermon being given in a rhyming rap, that would be rad. Plus they make Jesus seem rad, which he is.

The sign about atheists...some people just dont understand what Jesus said about loving everyone. It sucks that this sign even exists. 

I'm really glad the Praise Assembly church put this sign up, because now I'll feel welcome when I go there. Am I still aloud to smoke some joints outside the church?

hey all, welcome to my blog. usually a blogger might describe their blog to you, outlining what they hope to accomplish in their blog. but instead of introducing my blog to you with a description, i will let the blog speak for itself and let you develop your own description. 

enjoy!