Let me tell you what the blog is not. It is not a devotional, nor is it a series of sermonettes. It's not something to which you'll look every day for a little inspiration. I am not a theologian, and I'm not a pastor. I've never formally studied religion or the Bible. I don't know Greek, Hebrew, or even Aramaic. I don't read popular Christian books and I don't watch Christian movies or television shows. I don't listen to Christian radio and really couldn't tell you who the current popular cultural figures in the Christian world are. I am not a member of a church. I am not part of a "men's group."
There's nothing wrong with any of the above, with the exception of a Christian pop culture, perhaps. Isn't that how we got the Newsboys? Otherwise, Christians, or sinners, have no reason to be ashamed for being a part of anything listed above, in my view.
Let me say what I am, in contrast to the above, and then maybe get into what I hope the blog will be. I wanted to call this blog The Bad Christian, but as you can see, the title and URL were taken by this guy, and this guy. Those guys haven't blogged since '07 and '09 respectively. They are bad, bad, bad. But The Sinner Christian is alright, isn't it? We're all just sinners, aren't we? Sinners saved by grace?
I said above I'm not a member of a church, but I do attend church, and contribute regularly. I don't say that to commend myself, I say that to prove I am not against attending church, or being a part of a church. On the contrary, I'm very much for it. I love to hear people say they don't believe in organized religion. My thought? So what do you believe in, disorganized religion? Others say, "Well, I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual." I know what religious means, but I don't know what they mean by spiritual. I'm like, "I can see you sitting in that chair. You have spinach on your teeth." Not religious but spiritual? Is that like church and state? They have to be kept separate? It's a little like saying, "I'm not an actor, but I love potato chips." I think what they really mean is, "Well, I don't like people, or God, telling me what to do, but I think I'm going to heaven."
I said I haven't studied the Bible, but I have read it several times in various English translations. Currently I'm working on the 1560 version of the Geneva Bible. It's the most challenging version I've picked up yet. I grew up with KJVers who believed Peter and Paul spoke the Queen's English, 1611 style. I wonder now why they didn't latch on to Geneva version. It's even more archaic and harder to read. But I digress from my point. I read the Bible, yes. So I'm not hating on the Scripture. In fact, I believe it.
Christian pop culture? That area is murky. And I really hope to poke fun of it, but it's hard not knowing much about it, anymore. I used to be better informed, but that was a long time ago. That was a time when I attended Petra and Carmen concerts, went to Youth for Christ rallies and saw DC Talk when they rapped. I bought Christian music CDs. Christian movies have always been far and few between, but I'm sure I watched them.
Now I have a Christian movie on my shelf that I've yet to watch. It has Kirk Cameron in it, who I understand is a popular Christian actor now, and it is called Firehose, or something like that. There was another one out not too long ago about some football players called They Might Be Giants, or something similar. I haven't seen either of those. Sever years ago now, however, I did watch another Kirk Cameron flick called Left Behind. Oh my goodness! I thought I'd missed the rapture and that movie was my tribulation.
Don't get me started on KLOVE! That's for another rant!
So, since I feel like a sinner most of the time for not being interested in all the stuff they sell at Christian bookstores outside of the Bibles and commentaries, I'm calling it The Sinner Christian.
BTW, Carmen and Petra are on my iPod right now, and I dig every song on there! But if I die in a car wreck, please oh please don't assume I want those played at my funeral. You will see a corpse blush. Use the songs from the hymn book. It's that book in the back of the pew with all of those funny marks on the inside above and below the words.
In the spirit of other Christian blogs that leave you with a Scripture verse, here is mine, from the Geneva Bible:
And God bleffed them, and God faid to them, Bring forthe frute and multiplie, and fil the earth, and fubdue it, and rule ouer the fifh of the fea and ouer the foule of the heauen, & ouer euerie beaft that moueth vpon the earth. Genefis 1:28
God Bleff!
There's nothing wrong with any of the above, with the exception of a Christian pop culture, perhaps. Isn't that how we got the Newsboys? Otherwise, Christians, or sinners, have no reason to be ashamed for being a part of anything listed above, in my view.
Let me say what I am, in contrast to the above, and then maybe get into what I hope the blog will be. I wanted to call this blog The Bad Christian, but as you can see, the title and URL were taken by this guy, and this guy. Those guys haven't blogged since '07 and '09 respectively. They are bad, bad, bad. But The Sinner Christian is alright, isn't it? We're all just sinners, aren't we? Sinners saved by grace?
I said above I'm not a member of a church, but I do attend church, and contribute regularly. I don't say that to commend myself, I say that to prove I am not against attending church, or being a part of a church. On the contrary, I'm very much for it. I love to hear people say they don't believe in organized religion. My thought? So what do you believe in, disorganized religion? Others say, "Well, I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual." I know what religious means, but I don't know what they mean by spiritual. I'm like, "I can see you sitting in that chair. You have spinach on your teeth." Not religious but spiritual? Is that like church and state? They have to be kept separate? It's a little like saying, "I'm not an actor, but I love potato chips." I think what they really mean is, "Well, I don't like people, or God, telling me what to do, but I think I'm going to heaven."
I said I haven't studied the Bible, but I have read it several times in various English translations. Currently I'm working on the 1560 version of the Geneva Bible. It's the most challenging version I've picked up yet. I grew up with KJVers who believed Peter and Paul spoke the Queen's English, 1611 style. I wonder now why they didn't latch on to Geneva version. It's even more archaic and harder to read. But I digress from my point. I read the Bible, yes. So I'm not hating on the Scripture. In fact, I believe it.
Christian pop culture? That area is murky. And I really hope to poke fun of it, but it's hard not knowing much about it, anymore. I used to be better informed, but that was a long time ago. That was a time when I attended Petra and Carmen concerts, went to Youth for Christ rallies and saw DC Talk when they rapped. I bought Christian music CDs. Christian movies have always been far and few between, but I'm sure I watched them.
Now I have a Christian movie on my shelf that I've yet to watch. It has Kirk Cameron in it, who I understand is a popular Christian actor now, and it is called Firehose, or something like that. There was another one out not too long ago about some football players called They Might Be Giants, or something similar. I haven't seen either of those. Sever years ago now, however, I did watch another Kirk Cameron flick called Left Behind. Oh my goodness! I thought I'd missed the rapture and that movie was my tribulation.
Don't get me started on KLOVE! That's for another rant!
So, since I feel like a sinner most of the time for not being interested in all the stuff they sell at Christian bookstores outside of the Bibles and commentaries, I'm calling it The Sinner Christian.
BTW, Carmen and Petra are on my iPod right now, and I dig every song on there! But if I die in a car wreck, please oh please don't assume I want those played at my funeral. You will see a corpse blush. Use the songs from the hymn book. It's that book in the back of the pew with all of those funny marks on the inside above and below the words.
In the spirit of other Christian blogs that leave you with a Scripture verse, here is mine, from the Geneva Bible:
And God bleffed them, and God faid to them, Bring forthe frute and multiplie, and fil the earth, and fubdue it, and rule ouer the fifh of the fea and ouer the foule of the heauen, & ouer euerie beaft that moueth vpon the earth. Genefis 1:28
God Bleff!
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