Unconquered (an Otis Redding style of clarification)

So the last post was solidly about church being to fruffy (def. girly; pink). I think I put some valid arguments forward that church has become girly. (thought interupted by involuntary erasage of a paragraph) I realise that there are girly aspects of church. Of a (girly words italics) relationship with God. I recognize Psalms as being, mostly, David's longing after God's heart. I acknowledge the emotional side of Christianity.

At the same time I think it is also important to reacknowledge the stronger side of the Jesus' teaching. 1. Jesus liked a challenge (He chose a gov. officiall and a zealot to be in his possy) 2. Jesus was in your face (...eat my body and drink my blood...) 3. Jesus brought out the big stick (whipped people out of the temple... single handedly) Its time to throw out the old paintings of a long-haired, soft skinned, white, doe-eyed Jesus. He was a freaking carpenter who hung out with stinky fishermen, and if I had one word to describe Jesus' ministry it would be (manly words in bold) Courageous.

He had the Courage to come down to an unholy place. He had the courage to get in people's faces. He faced adversity; he faced down satan in the desert. He healed on the Sabath. He defied the "authorities." He talked to prostitutes in front of his friends. He hung out with uncool and social rejects and it didn't hurt his "street cred," "image," or "reputation." Talk about courage. Ultimately he took on torchure in front of his best friends and his mother for a crime he did not commit. To make that statement greater he knew about it beforehand and decided to go BTTWall anyway.

Jesus was Courage. But that one word cannot describe his ministry. If I had two words to describe Jesus it would be Courageous and Love.

My church went through the Wild at Heart series a few years ago. A lot of people have misinterpreted this series to be about buy a motorcycle or going camping in a loin clothe. BEEEBOOOOP as Alvin would say. It's about courage and the loss of it among men at church. Men in church today have lost, or never gained, their courage. We're afraid to talk to people about God, afraid to get in their faces about it. We're afraid to get our hands dirty. What will people think? We don't want to be inconsiderate. We don't want to make people think. We don't want to loose our reputation. We don't want to cause a commotion. That was exactly what Eldridge was talking about. Our loss of courage. His book was a suggestion on how to possibly remedy it. It wasn't about taking up rock climbing, but more about guys like Chris Morton who moved to San Antonio to work with homeless people. That's courage. Who wants to work with stinky homeless people? What would that do to his reputation?

All this to say I like the principles driving Wild at Heart. It takes courage to be a good christian. I think it probably takes courage to be a good father or husband too. Some girls don't like the princess analogy, but it's true. If a guy never asked you out there's no way you'd wind up together. I also like the idea of GodMen. It looks to be like PK but on steroids. Besides women have started showing up to PK meetings (not cool). Aight I'm out.

Paul "google the title" Murphy

Picture by Jeff Widener. Tianamen Square protest.