A New Kind of Christian

If you haven't read this incredible book yet, I encourage you to do so. It's in my media list to the left. Even if you have not made a decision to follow the teachings of Christ, I would still encourage you to read it. It is a life changing book.

Basically it is a story about a pastor who is having a "crisis of faith." He feels that there must be more to Christianity than going to church every Sunday and making people feel good. He meets a man that has had those same thoughts and many more. They enter into a conversation that lasts months and months about what a new kind of Christian would be like.

This story is molded around the idea that the "modern church" (that is, the religious structure my parents grew up in) has made several mistakes in presenting Christianity to others. One of those mistakes is watering down God's Message to us. Modern theology would like to break everything down into formulas, cliches, mottos, tradition, and 3-point analytical sermons.

What this book (and many people that believe as I do) is suggesting is that there is a different way to do things. A "post-modern" way to do things. Not that this way is better than that of the previous generation, but the idea that 1950's theology will be effective in 2004 is not only arrogant, it's asinine.

This new kind of Christianity emphasizes relationships, conversations, community. Not only among believers, but among non-believers. A big failure of modern Christianity was the idea of "friendship evangelism." The idea is that if you are someone's friend and show them that you are different because of Christ, then they will want to be a part of that. That was all fine and good in the 1950's, but people today are jaded, cynical, and skeptical when it comes to Christians.

So many horrible things have been done in the name of Christ, that people would rather find another form of spirituality. The problem with "friendship evangelism" is that the goal is to get that person "saved." The friendship is nothing more than a strategic maneuver in order to "help" that person.

What post-modern Christianity is proposing is that we enter into relationships with people, not in order to "get them saved," but in order to get to know them. Share their burdens, laugh with them, cry with them, become their friend. No conversion strings attached. Sure your faith will come up, sometime. But it isn't the priority. The priority is love.

These and many other ideas are discussed in the book. I recommend picking up a copy. And after you've read it, give it to someone else. There is another way to do things. And in this fast-paced, virtual world, American apple-pie theology might not be making that much of a difference anymore.

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Art is so cool!

Check out Mariano & Rachael Santillan's Gallery in my list of links. Mariano did an awesome job on a painting for my wife's birthday. It is from a picture of our wedding day.

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800 visitors in 3 and a half months!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for visiting my site and for passing on the link to friends and family members. I would not continue this site if I felt that no one was reading it. Seriously, to every one of you that visit: thank you

Please feel free to comment on any post on this page or my bio or pics page. Also email me or I.M. me anytime. I want to keep you interested in this site and I want to draw more readers. So any suggestions for posts or if you have a question or topic that you would like discussed, let me know.

Once again, thank you for helping this site turn 800!!!!!!!!

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New Pics

Hey guys, there are new (and some old) pics on the Pics of the Moment page.

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Site Feed

I am about to put a site feed button on the side bar. Also I just figured out how to email you whenever I publish. So I will put a link on the side for those interested and you will get an email every time I publish a new post. Keep looking for those new links and buttons.

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The Passion of The Christ

If you have not checked out the site for this movie, I strongly encourage you to do so. This is being hailed as the most biblical film account of the crucifixion story ever made. It is intensely graphic and will probably change the lives of many people that claim to know Christ. Check it out by clicking on the picture.

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Update: Crisis of Faith is Over (for now)

Many of you know that I have been struggling with my faith for the past few months. Well, for now that struggle has subsided. I feel that I am stronger now more than ever. My doubt led me to search for truth, and I found that truth in the life of Christ. I am still a struggling follower, but I am trying to model myself after Jesus' example. To love, not hate; to befriend, not turn away; to help, not hinder. I am trying to live the life that I have faked for 15 years. It's not easy. But I feel that the smile on my Father's face is worth the sacrifices I will have to make. Continue to pray for me. I still need to repair the damage that has been done to my "spiritual reputation." Apparently it's frowned upon to question and doubt. So I must pay the necessary restitution that I might once again be looked upon with trust and respect from my fellow followers.

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New Look

Ok, so i changed the look, again. Hopefully this will be the last time. Thanks for those who have been so helpful.

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A crush?

I have a crush on a 16 year old girl. Ok, before you call my wife, the leadership at my church, or the police, let me explain. It's not a junior high "I like her so-o-o much" type of a crush. It's more like God has shown me so much pain in her eyes, that my heart has been crushed for her.

I met her this past summer, at a senior high youth camp. The praise band I play with had the privilege of leading worship that week and I was blessed with the opportunity to meet some awesome people. One of those people was a girl that I'll call Jenny (in order to protect her innocence).

Jenny was a pretty girl, although her personal style de-emphasized her outer beauty. She was also a magnetic girl, people gravitated to her because of her personality. But there was something about Jenny that just broke my heart.

You see I had been recently replaying the words of a friend and co-worker in ministry, Josh. Josh had mentioned that on a trip to New Orleans he had asked God to allow him to see people the way God saw them. To see their joy and pain, their hope and suffering. Josh said that everywhere he turned he was broken down to tears because of the pain he saw in people's eyes. In the months leading up to this week of camp, I also prayed that I could see people the way that God sees them. When I met Jenny, my heart instantly broke.

We were playing a big group game out on the field. After a few minutes I noticed this multi-color haired girl in a camo jacket off to the side of the field. Then I felt a tug at my heart. I went over there to see if there was anything she needed. She said that she was fine, but that she can't play games that are physically demanding because of a spinal defect. I was blown away. I could see in her eyes that she had at 16 already faced more pain and suffering than anyone should have to endure.

Over the course of the week, Jenny and I continued talking. She had been let down by so many people: friends, parents, Christianity, camp counselors, ministers. I just felt that I had to let her know that I would not let her down. I prayed for her every night, and often during the day.

My wife, Michelle, had also felt the pain in Jenny's eyes. We became aware of her at all times. At worship: was she experiencing God? At dinner: Is she experiencing friendship? At free time: is she experiencing fun? Jenny became a part of our lives so quickly that by the end of the week our hearts were broken to have to leave her.

It's been nearly 5 months since that week of camp. I still chat with Jenny occasionally on instant messenger (although I usually feel like I am bothering her). And I still pray for her often. But I cannot forget the pain and heartache I saw in her eyes. I guess I still have a crush on her. My prayer is that I would continue to see people through God's eyes. To see them for who they are instead of who they want others to think they are. I want to see past stereo-typical, anti-social, and cross-culteral barriers. I want to see people in a way that I want to love them, I want to help them, I want to invest my life in theirs. I want God to break my heart everytime, until I have a crush on everyone I meet.

-Mike

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