Archive Page 2

11
Jul

Porn Nation .3

Part One: The Danger of Reading About Porn

Part Two: Statistics and Sexual Addiction

Porn Nation author, Michael Leahy has been on a tour of college campuses for much of the past few years, telling his story. His story is one that hits rock bottom; it is a sad story. Even now as he has turned his life around, he pays for his past mistakes. My goal for these posts was that maybe someone affected by these problems would be able to avoid rock bottom.

He ends the book saying this (emphasis mine):

“The dictionary describes an icon as a person regarded as a symbol of something. Being regarded as a sports icon would be rather flattering; an icon for porn and sex addiction, less so. But as a spokesperson for sex addicts, I accept that-to a degree- that’s exactly what I am: my life a symbol for the roughly 15 million adults who struggle with addiction to sex and pornography. But my story-beginning with a mildly erotic deck of playing cards and moving up to high-speed cyber-porn and then on to voyeurism, an affair, and then divorce-may also serve as a picture of analogy of our society on its sexual journey. As it’s an analogy and not a prophecy, who can say if our culture as a whole will end up as I did, addicted to sex. But it could. Prophecies must be fulfilled, but analogies only need to instruct. As actions are taken, outcomes can always change. But if actions are taken I don’t see how the truth of our story, where I become a sex symbol of a different sort for our entire culture instead of just 15 million of its members.”

10
Jul

Breaking the Barrier

Easily the most difficult part of my job is trying to bridge the gap between stage and congregation. Having a large sanctuary (holds 2,500 when it’s finished) makes this more difficult. Anytime you have that many seats it immediately makes you feel disengaged from what is happening on stage. So I struggle constantly with how to break down that barrier.

This past weekend was conscience effort to break the barrier. We went with keys, acoustic guitar, drums, and a vocalist. Luckily I (acoustic guitar) and Jill (keys) can sing. So we had 3 instruments and 3 vocalists. Very scaled back from a usual weekend. Beyond that, we took some time in the service for each of us to share. No longer were we just musicians who sing and play. We were real people with real struggles. I hope our goal was reached. The theme of the day was finding peace in conflict. Each of us shared from our lives.

My part begins at about 4:10.

(video embedded RSS readers)

I know many worship pastors and church attenders read this blog…

How does your church try to break down the barrier between stage and congregation?

(please don’t say authenticity…i’m tired of hearing that word in relation to this subject)

Creative Chaos @ the Soul. Watercooler Wednesdays @ Ethos.

09
Jul

Porn Nation .2

Part One: The Danger of Reading About Porn

Here are some scary statistics:

  • The average age of first exposure to commercial pornography is 12.5
  • Over 50% of teenagers between 15-19 say they have had oral sex.
  • 42% of guys and 33% of girls say they’ve had intercourse.
  • While 27% of teens say they’ve been sexually intimate, only 15% of parents believe their children have gone beyond kissing.

Porn is no longer an industry of driving to the store with the blinders on the windows and the fence around the parking lot. It is easily accessible over the internet. It is easy to find web cams of women and men all over the world. Everytime I get on the computer I am playing with fire. While I may use the internet for some very great things, the internet is full of pornography.

Michael Leahy proposes that we live in a sex addicted society. He isn’t talking about it in loose terms. He believes many people in our world need psychiatric help for the issue. While no scholar has named sex addiction a mental disorder, many estimates have the number of those affected in the US alone at around 20 million. Wow! So why do those stats correlate with porn. Using porn leads to sex addiction says Leahy.

I love Leahy’s 4 step cycle of addiction. I think applies to pornography, sex addiction, and any addiction.

  1. Preoccupation
  2. Ritualization
  3. Compulsive behavior
  4. Despair

If I’m honest I battle an addiction to 2 things: Web 2.0 (Facebook, YouTube, blogging, etc.) and sports. I have to take serious measures to keep those things in check. What I love about this 4 step process is that it fits any addiction. I can walk through that cycle in every area of my life to see if I am addicted. It certainly isn’t fun, but I know God wants me to only be addicted to Him (hopefully that doesn’t read as cheesy as it sounds).

08
Jul

Porn Nation .1

porn nation by michael leahy book cover

You read the title…probably thinking: “what the?” or “where is he going with this…” or “do I really want to read this…?”

Porn Nation is a book I read by Michael Leahy. It was a book of his personal story (which is a tough one), and his thoughts on our porn nation. Great book. Leahy is so real when he shares his story, but does a great job of translating it in how it happened and how to avoid/change it.

I totally understand this is beyond a sensitive subject and as I dive into some of the things Leahy brings up, I will do my best to keep that in mind. I’ll be doing a few posts on the book and its surrounding issues.

Reading a Christian book about porn has always felt a little weird to me. Here is why: I do not struggle with porn. I know, I know…every guy reading this just questioned whether I am telling the truth. I haven’t looked at porn for over 3 years (my wife is doing math in her head reading this, I’m prepared for a nice talk about this tonight). This isn’t to say it hasn’t been an issue before, because it totally has, but it is not something that I even moderately struggle with right now.

So for someone who isn’t struggling with this issue to read a book on the issue is weird to me. I wonder how it can be helpful. And for those who do struggle with this, I wonder if it can hurt as much as it helps. The book forces you to think about porn and your use or non use of it.

Now obviously the book’s goal is for the reader to recognize the danger that porn presents, and to FLEE from it. But, I wonder…can it cause as much harm as good? Your thoughts?

07
Jul

Life Will Be Different Now

On Sunday afternoon Rose and I finally sold our car (the picture is of Rose kissing “Vernonica” goodbye). We got close to the price we wanted and we are mostly happy about it. It allows me to afford to go to school again next year and gives us a bit of a buffer if things fall a part. With insurance and gas prices, it was making less sense for us to have 2 cars.

So now I become a bike rider most of the time. We live just about a half mile from the church, so I have just a short ride to work (which will really suck when the rain arrives). I lost a little bit of my freedom today because Rose will be driving my car most of the time now.

bike rideI’ll be taking the Max to school (for you non Oregon readers, the Max is a light rail line that runs for 35 miles in Portland). So today is a bittersweet for me. While it was definitely the right thing to do, I have become more of a homebody because I can’t get around near as easily anymore.

How are you surviving the cost of driving?

06
Jul

It’s All Roses

Now and then I like to take Rose to places that she really enjoys. Usually we don’t have the time or the money to do so. Today I thought I would let those last two things go and take her to her favorite places in Portland: 23rd Street and the International Rose Test Garden.

Crazy to think that both of these incredible spots are only 10 to 15 minutes from our place. Not to make any of you jealous, but today it was 74, partly cloudy, and 45% humidity (which is high for here) :) After record heat last weekend this was a nice change. I love Oregon summers!

Positive Post Tuesday and Watercooler Wednesdays at Ethos.

05
Jul

Fortuitous Bouncing

Wow…I’m a day late with this. My deepest apologies. I was out of town and had limited internet. I actually didn’t check my email for 24 straight hours. I was talking to Rose about that. I can’t remember the last time I’ve gone that long. Is that bad?

  1. Eugene Cho is in the process of starting his own humanitarian organization. Check it out.
  2. A Thomas Jefferson Bible has been found. Pretty interesting to see how he treated the Bible. We often think of the Founding Fathers as deeply devoted Christian men. After you read it, you decide if he was a Christian. I think he was pretty lost and confused.
  3. Jay has continued the conversation from my God Bless America post on his blog.
  4. Dan Kimball has 2 awesome posts on the how controversial choirs and organs are.
  5. The new NBC show Kath and Kim starts in September…it looks hilarious.
  6. Randy Elrod on the “reverse graffiti project.” Pretty sweet.
  7. Short quotes on what it means to be missional.

Sports

joe mauer minnesota twinsMy Twins have finally turned it on. Last Sunday their 2nd year pitcher threw a 3 hitter. Only one game back in the Central, they have won 18 out of 21 and have one of the best records in baseball. Who would have thought? (I did).

04
Jul

I Have it So Good

My wife and I were talking this morning about doing a “blogalogue” (my new favorite word) sometime soon. It is basically our discussion on how good we have it in America, how badly others have it, and what we can do about it. More to come. Today’s post flows right out of our discussion.

There have been 3 posts this week that stand above the rest. 3 posts that broke my heart. 3 posts that deserve their own post above anything I do on the usual Saturday morning post.

Everyone knows India has a caste system that still somewhat remains. It is not embraced by the government, but little is being done to stop the system that remains. To be honest I know next to nothing about it. This is what I do know: There are 4 social classes and then there is one group that doesn’t even has a place in those classes. They the Dalits. You could consider them lower than the social outcasts. There are as many Dalits in India as there are citizens of the USA.

Over on the God’s Politics blog, Adam Taylor has written 3 posts on his experience of living with the Dalits. Every one of them is worth a read.

Part One- Introduction

Part Two- Breaking the Barrier

Part Three- Dalits Turn to Christianity and Face More Persecution

“Hindu religion casts a protective shadow over the plight of the Dalits. The Western world is reluctant to fully engage in the Dalit struggle due to fears of being accused of religious intolerance, cultural insensitivity, and sheer ignorance.”

“Despite signs of economic mobility, Dalits are often the victims of dehumanizing acts of violence and humiliation designed to keep them in their place.”

“The public school system has become a dismal refuge for the children of the lower and middle castes, where Dalit students face daily abuse by teachers and students. According to a government report, 73 percent of Dalit students drop out in secondary school.”

india dalit begging

We have it so good.

Happy 4th everyone!

03
Jul

God Bless America

It is that time of year. 4th of July week and weekend. Flags come out from the woodworks and get placed everywhere, including all over churches. I want to know one thing:

What comes to mind when you see these pictures?

How does country and Christianity mix for you?

02
Jul

Ridiculous

rush limbaugh radio hostI was looking at some of the headlines today and something caught my eye.

Rush Limbaugh renews radio contract

First off, I’ll be honest. I don’t listen to him. I find it odd that he “speaks” for conservative America and yet has been divorced 3 times.

Anyway, enough about my thoughts on him. That isn’t why I’m writing this.

Today it was announced that he renewed his contract.

His signing bonus was $100 million.

His new contract pays him $38 million every year, for 8 years.

This is essentially a $400 million deal.

Let those numbers sink in.

(and people complain about how much sports figures make)