Wednesday April 1, 2009
Did Evangelicals Curb the Housing Bubble?
"A new study by Christopher W. Crowe, an economist for the International Monetary Fund, found that during the last two housing booms in the United States, regions with high concentrations of evangelicals saw lower gains in home prices and less volatility than similar regions with fewer evangelical residents."
Saddleback Silliness
This is a rather bizarre invitation from Rick Warren to the people in or near his church. "1. Open your heart to Jesus Christ. 2. Attend Class 101: Discovering Your Church Family. 3. Sign our membership covenant (explained in class). 4. Be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled for us. YOU CAN FINISH ALL 4 REQUIREMENTS IN ONE DAY - THIS SATURDAY!"
Speed Listening
If you haven't already discovered this blog, you should give it a look. Dr. David Murray of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary is releasing an ongoing series of short video blogs, each of which covers an interesting topic.
The Green Letter Bible?
"A nicely presented bible (NRSV) with the added bonus that verses that relate in anyway to the environment are shown in green, there is a special index for them and a "Green bible trail" is plotted. Includes 126 pages of essays from folks such as N. T. Wright, Brian McLaren and Wendell Berry. Cotton/Linen cover, recycled paper, soy based ink, water based coating of course."
Deon
Deidox films has a new short film ready to view. This one looks at a police officer who works on Skid Row in LA.
"A new study by Christopher W. Crowe, an economist for the International Monetary Fund, found that during the last two housing booms in the United States, regions with high concentrations of evangelicals saw lower gains in home prices and less volatility than similar regions with fewer evangelical residents."
Saddleback Silliness
This is a rather bizarre invitation from Rick Warren to the people in or near his church. "1. Open your heart to Jesus Christ. 2. Attend Class 101: Discovering Your Church Family. 3. Sign our membership covenant (explained in class). 4. Be baptized the way Jesus commanded and modeled for us. YOU CAN FINISH ALL 4 REQUIREMENTS IN ONE DAY - THIS SATURDAY!"
Speed Listening
If you haven't already discovered this blog, you should give it a look. Dr. David Murray of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary is releasing an ongoing series of short video blogs, each of which covers an interesting topic.
The Green Letter Bible?
"A nicely presented bible (NRSV) with the added bonus that verses that relate in anyway to the environment are shown in green, there is a special index for them and a "Green bible trail" is plotted. Includes 126 pages of essays from folks such as N. T. Wright, Brian McLaren and Wendell Berry. Cotton/Linen cover, recycled paper, soy based ink, water based coating of course."
Deon
Deidox films has a new short film ready to view. This one looks at a police officer who works on Skid Row in LA.
Comments (17) »
1. sdechert
April 1, 2009
8:24 AM
Wow. The top two reasons to go through such a whirlwind membership day at Saddleback? Rick Warren will PERSONALLY teach the class and PERSONALLY baptize everyone.
2. April
April 1, 2009
9:30 AM
April Fool’s? Please? At least #2 and #4.
3. Kim
April 1, 2009
9:42 AM
I don’t know which is worse (on Warren’s blog), the four requirements you can get done in one day or the eight reasons you should not procrastinate. Shouldn’t at least one of those eight reasons have something to do with Jesus Christ?!
4. Christie
April 1, 2009
10:19 AM
The fact we can’t easily discern between a Saddleback Aprils Fools joke or Standard Operating Procedure joke is precisely their problem. Not funny.
5. Kim
April 1, 2009
10:31 AM
This is dated March 25th. Is it an April Fools Joke?
6. Chris H.
April 1, 2009
10:56 AM
Sadly, the Saddleback piece is not an April Fool’s joke. I first came across it this past weekend.
7. Rich
April 1, 2009
11:33 AM
Not a joke. 2400 attended and 800 were baptised according to the Baptist Press article about it.
8. Jeri
April 1, 2009
11:52 AM
I like that the Saturday class was even “one hour shorter than normal.” You can’t beat that.
9. Carol Jean
April 1, 2009
12:59 PM
My 17-year-old noted that Warren’s emphasis is on joining HIS church - not THE church.
10. Carol Jean
April 1, 2009
1:08 PM
I checked out a copy of the Green Letter Bible at a Borders and it was just weird. They had to go through some serious editorial gymnastics to find enough verses to fit the environmental theme. For example, they highlighted the verses about Jesus walking on the water. OK, I guess since there was water in the passage and water is something in creation - voila! We have an environmental verse! Just plain weird.
The green letters were pretty though! And I liked the linen cover.
11. Eric
April 1, 2009
1:23 PM
I was wondering where the inspiration came from for Rick Warren’s Baptism day, so I did a little research. It would appear that there are a few ancient translations of the book of Acts that shed some light on the issue. Though they are only fragments of the original text, they would seem to imply that the Day of Pentecost was not just an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In fact it actually seems that for everyone who was baptized in Acts 2 received a button or a bumper sticker for their camel that said, “I was baptized by St. Peter.” Sadly, archeology has not been able to produce any of the original bumper stickers or buttons.
12. jackie
April 1, 2009
3:48 PM
It is kind of hard to say anything against wanting 3000 people to be saved and baptized in one day and added to the Church. It was after all what happened in the Book of Acts. Of course the circumstances were slightly different and a bit more spontaneous in that instance. It just seems hard to argue against wanting 3000 people to be saved. I get that it has a bit of an odd flavor to how it is all so organized and planned out, but on the face of it, it just seems like a weak position to try and argue against the plan.
I know that our church here had a plan to fast for 3 weeks and to pray that a certain amount of people be saved and baptized at the culmination of that 3 week fast. In fact, that number plus some was reached. This was a planned event and several hundred were saved. As much as it seems odd to kind of plan or force spiritual spontaneity, it still has such a good motive to it all and that is where I feel kind of feeble in opposing it.
13. anna
April 1, 2009
6:01 PM
for a good laugh check out the “boundful webzine” -> http://boundful.typepad.com/blog/
14. Kenneth Clayton
April 1, 2009
6:44 PM
I thought for sure this must of been an April fool’s day joke, what a disapointment to find out otherways, seriously how is it considered a good idea of offering subscription and book giveaway incentives for joing the church. They should of offered movie tickets or magazine subscription of your choice, they really might of seen more baptized that way.
15. Lance
April 1, 2009
9:14 PM
The best part is Warren saying, “You’re the greatest!”
Hmmmm. I had always thought that our Lord was the greatest.
16. Don
April 3, 2009
4:27 AM
The “Green Bible” is another wonderful way of pulling God down and elevating fallen man and nature. The Green Bible is not just about eco-printing, it’s about Greening of the cross.
A good review of this Bible can be found at this site (not my site :) ) www.radicalwatchman.blogspot.com
For Him,
-Don
17. Jamie Greene
April 3, 2009
10:34 PM
It would seem that Saddleback has now come to the degenerative point of proclaiming, “Who needs the Holy Spirit when we have Rick Warren!”
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