Worst Church Ever Podcast essays

Thomas Rayfiel: “On Little Libraries and the Divine Unrest”

On Little Libraries and the Divine Unrest

A good, short read. And a question. What, for you, is divine unrest?

I was thinking about something similar this morning before reading this short essay.

Why do we bother with the work of Jesus? People are so set in their ways. I suppose for me, the divine unrest emerges whenever I see people saying the kingdom of God is things that look nothing like the life and vision of Jesus. When they can’t seem to step back from their narratives long enough to see that Christ is risen beyond their precious theological systems or really listen for the voice of God. It would, to paraphrase Tom Petty, wreck them, baby. Break ’em in two. Which is, of course, the point.

Worst Church Ever Podcast liturgy, Resources

Sunday Night, Raymond Carver

Sunday Night
Raymond Carver

Make use of the things around you.
This light rain
Outside the window, for one.
This cigarette between my fingers,
These feet on the couch.
The faint sound of rock-and-roll,
The red Ferrari in my head.
The woman bumping
Drunkenly around in the kitchen …
Put it all in,
Make use.

Worst Church Ever Podcast Closing Songs, Resources

The Joy of Richard Ashcroft

I found this version of “Lucky Man” in the early days of Covid. Lots of joy in this, and in much of his work (see also “Surprised by the Joy of It” and others). I was sitting here playing along and felt less lonely, less bored, less shitty. A little bit of virtual church. Oh oh, my my.

Worst Church Ever Podcast Opening Prayer, Proverbs, Resources

Another Prayer for Wisdom

To you, Loving God, we lift up our souls; in You
we trust. Guide us in your ways, make us yearn to
be like you, move us from worship to action and
change. Bless us this morning as we gather, bless
us when we part. Remind us that you are with us,
and that you call us to share your love. Illuminate
us so that we may bless others with our strengths
and seek your transforming power in our
weakness. Amen.

Worst Church Ever Podcast Resources

For Those About to Deconstruct

We salute you.

A few tips.

Don’t forget: people have done this before. For decades. For centuries, even. You’re not alone.

If you’re coming out of fundamentalism or conservative evangelicalism specifically, you might still carry linguistic baggage. In those circles, it’s common to think that Christian = fundamentalist/evangelical. Many of us grew up believing that there were no “real” Christians in other expressions. When you want to talk about conservative Christian culture, be specific. Don’t tweet about “Christian this or Christian that” if what you really mean is “fundamentalist this” or “evangelical that.”

Thinking through your faith is nothing new. In the current context, you might need to be reminded that movements away from so-called “conservative” Christianity are not new. They did not start with the term “exvangelical” or the the hashtag “emptythepews.”

Speaking of which. Allow yourself to be filled with thankfulness when you realize that evangelicalism and fundamentalism have never honestly represented fealty to the historic witness of the 2000+ year journey of the universal Church. You’ve been told that “conservative Christianity” is just an unbroken chain from Jesus, but that’s simply not true.

You’ve been told there’s only one theory of atonement. You’ve been told there’s only one way to read various scriptures. You’ve been told that you have to believe things about the Bible before you get to meet Jesus. None of these things are true. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other, truer expressions of the way of Jesus that are worth your time.

Blessings on your journey.

Worst Church Ever Podcast Uncategorized

Don’t Be Like Anakin. Support Loan Forgiveness.

If you think canceling debt is Marxism, you’re gonna hate Leviticus. But you love Leviticus because you think it’s proof that being gay is bad.

A quandary.

While you figure it out, why not encourage a doling out of all the liberty and freedom you say love? Why not advocate for freeing people from debts that have left them destitute?

It’s only Biblical. And you love anything Biblical, right?

Right?

Worst Church Ever Podcast Resources

Stop Talking About John Piper

I remember Eugene Cho once saying “the oldest injustice in human history is the way we treat women.” I’m not sure if by “we” he meant men or society, but it hardly matters. I’m in the middle of trying not to have a stroke over the fact that people are still talking about complimentarianism.

Women. were. the. first. to. see. the. risen. Lord.

Women. helped. lead. early. churches. all. over. the. world.

Corinthians. should. be. taken. in. context. (All of scripture should).

Even if you think Paul’s instructions to the church in Corinth came straight from the heart and mind of God, you have to wrangle with the fact that in Paul’s letter to the Romans, he acknowledges and praises the leadership role of the woman Junia, even calling her an apostle. If you believe the letters to Corinth were from God, you probably believe the same about the note to Rome. But if believing such also means you believe that these letters are also meant for all Christian communities for all times, you have a problem. Which model is right? Should the Roman apostle Junia really consider herself a complementary (subservient, rather than co-equal) child of God next to her husband simply because Paul told the church in Corinth (and Ephesus) to follow the societal and familial norms of their native cultures? I don’t think so. I don’t think you can hold this view even if you say you think the Bible is the literal word of God.

So please, just stop. Stop it, John Piper. Stop it, SBC. Stop it, PCA.

Treat your Bible better than this…and you may end up treating women better, too. Wouldn’t that be something.

Worst Church Ever Podcast Episodes

Episode 16: Shame and Mourning in the Negev: Isaac Does the Work

Isaac mourns his mother and tries to come to terms with the what she and Abraham did to Hagar and Ismael. And where does he go to meditate and work through this stuff? The room where it happened. The scene of the crime. The well of the one who lives and who sees…