Posts Tagged Media Critique
NJ Pastor is Offline (Part 2)
Posted by Randall W. Ross in Current Events, Media Critique, Social Media, Thoughts and Reflections on November 22, 2010
Adding a “Part 2″ to my original article wasn’t my plan. But someone sent me this link and I knew I had to address the issue again.
As I wrote my initial response, I considered throwing out the idea that the urgency and irrationality of this pastor’s efforts was probably linked to personal guilt. I could have said that he is making this firm stand, and forcing his people to take it too, because he was guilty of what he is denouncing.
Well, I didn’t add that to my previous post. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, I was right in my hunch.
In no way would I imply that everyone who takes a firm or irrational stand on something is guilty of it….but it has been the trend in high profile religious scandal recently. This makes me sick…but it is also very frustrating.
Along with what I discussed in Part 1, it is helpful to remember some biblical truth here:
And he called the people to him and said to them, ”Hear and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13He answered, ”Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15But Peter said to him, ”Explain the parable to us.” 16And he said, ”Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Matthew 15:10-20 (ESV- emphasis added)
Like the apostles needed to see, we need to see what the real issue is here.
The problem is not Facebook….or Twitter….or alcohol…or guns…etc. The problem is what is in our heart. What is in our heart will come out, through our words and our actions, and will show who we are.
We could rid the world of every form of social media and guess what….people will still find ways to have inappropriate relationships. We could bring back prohibition and you know what….people will still turn to something to give them relief…something other than God.
Of course there are some things that are evil in and of themselves (pornography, human trafficking, etc) and I don’t want to stir up confusion here. But in this case with the Facebook denouncing pastor, the real issue is clear.
We, as fallen creatures, have a problem with sin. Most of the time we don’t want to acknowledge that problem but would rather put the blame on someone or something else. That is the way it has been since the garden of eden…and it will remain this way until Christ reigns in Glory.
Until then, we need pastors and other children of God to stand up and confess their sin, be discerning in their thoughts and behavior, and compel others to explore Christ because of their humility not their self-righteousness.
NJ Pastor is Offline (Part 1)
Posted by Randall W. Ross in Media Critique, Social Media, Thoughts and Reflections on November 18, 2010
If you haven’t heard about pastor that is telling his staff to get off Facebook, you can read about it here and here.
In my opinion, the pastor is misinformed and moving in a direction that is simply not helpful.
Here is his main argument:
In his pastoral counseling, he has seen a increase of people using Facebook to reignite old flames. People essentially think that what they are doing is hidden and anonymous. This leads to a trail of deception and is highly damaging to their marriages and families.
Of course, this is true. People are guilty of this. However, I don’t think that the problem is the social network itself. I definitely don’t think the answer is leaving the network in protest. Yet this is what he has determined for the others on staff:
It’s to the point now that this Sunday, anyone in our church in a leadership position and who is married and is on Facebook has to resign their church position if they do not give up Facebook.
Bad idea…and it really doesn’t make sense.
Suppose people use automobiles to drive themselves to bad places where they engage in bad behavior. Are the cars to blame…or the roads…should they be abandoned and torn up. Or what about those pesky restaurants where people eat way too much food. Should we stop going to out to eat.
It is the same with social networking. Sure, people abuse it. People take advantage of the connection it enables and use it for sinful purposes. Since the dawn of time this is the plight of man.
Most importantly, we should not remove ourselves from the environments that so desperately need the Gospel. A better line of action would be to encourage our pastors and leaders to engage their communities and people through the social networks. We should show that our ‘online life’ and our real life actually have no distinction.
If we are so quick to remove ourselves from such engagement, we may actually be ensuring that the negative and destructive behavior will remain unchecked.
Media Monday- A Branch Lifted Up In Worship
Posted by Randall W. Ross in Media Critique, Media Monday, Music, Thoughts and Reflections, Worship on June 28, 2010
It seems a little crazy, and a little more providential…but I was doing a Google Image search for ‘branch’ to find some pics for a design project I’m working on and I came upon a picture of this band. So, of course, I clicked on it. I was pleased to find what was there…pleased so much that I downloaded one of their albums an hour later.
Their site offered a great introduction to the Branch story and heart:
The husband/wife duo in Branch began at a local Bible study and two albums later they have found a voice and platform to champion Jesus Christ and the things He’s about: Love, Justice, and Hope. When the band isn’t actively involved in their base church in Athens TX, they are traveling the country striving with all they are to create an atmosphere of worship where people can get their eyes of themselves and onto a God who can change everything (2 Cor 3:18).
Living in a city with four college’s, the band got it’s start leading worship for a city-wide collegiate Bible study called Grace. Steven Patterson was attending college at Hardin Simmons where he met his wife Rachel and ultimately formed a band. The band got a great opportunity to trade weeks leading worship with Jeff Berry alongside the teaching of Matt Chandler at Grace (Abilene’s collegiate bible study). After consistently leading worship at the Bible study and at their local church (UBC), the band began traveling the country to lead worship at various camps, conferences, and retreats. In the Fall of 2005, the band officially became Branch with the release of their debut album “Desperate for Real”. The band name comes from John 15 with the key verse being “abide in me for apart from me you can do nothing (15:5). “We felt like we always needed to remember that!” With this first record, the band’s ministry reached beyond the borders of the Bible study and soon the band was traveling full time leading others to experience, know, and worship God. Branch’s newest released “The Side Effects of Seeing,” released in September 07. The bands purpose could be summed up in this sentence: to creatively and effectively lead others into the presence of God where they can respond to God and be changed into His likeness. We strive with all we have to create an ATMOSPHERE of praise where people can get their eyes off of themselves and on to the GLORY of GOD they will be transformed!
What impressed me at quick glance was the way their music was simply focussed on glorifying Christ. Over the years I have grown weary of worship bands that are leading others to long for something that, if they had a clear grasp of the Gospel, they already posses in the finished work of Jesus. Branch gets the Gospel, and it makes the worship powerful.
A song on their live album Nothing to Lose captures this well. The song is Victory. Christ is our victory! Amen!
Here is the Audio:
Here are the lyrics:
VICTORY
You left Your rightful throne
You came and took my place
You suffered all alone
Then You rose from the gravePre-Chorus
Now my sin is gone
Now my sin is goneChorus
You’re my victory, You’re my victory
You won the war for my soul and I’m Yours forever!V2
When darkness wages war
Death on every side
You’re my only hope
Jesus You’re my only lightYou’ll deliver me
You’ll deliver meBridge
I stand pure by Your blood; strong in Your power
I am confident in Love and I stand, I stand in You
This is the good news. We need more artists like Branch to proclaim this in ways that we can sing with communal joy. When you can…support these artists. If it burns in you….become one!
Media Monday-Free Music that’s Alive!!
Posted by Randall W. Ross in Christian, Media Critique, Music, Resources, Worship on September 14, 2009
I recently came across this website (for the organization Come and Live) that endeavors to reach and enrich the lives of people through music. They want to do so without any financial obligation. You can download a recent compilation of Artists that they work with. Just Click on the image to the right and go to their download page.
I’ve been listening to this for the past week and I love it.
Enjoy.
(PS. My favorites so far are Tracks 2, 5 and 9. Good Stuff!!)
Think Thursday-Runaway Car
Posted by Randall W. Ross in Christian, Media Critique, Music, Non-Christian, Personal Connections, Thoughts and Reflections on August 13, 2009
Stop this runaway car
I want to get off, I want to go back
If I left you there then I left it all behind
‘Cause all I’m feeling now
Is the weight of the world bearing down
I don’t have answers for any of my questions anymore
‘Cause I might have been wrong
I might have been scared, all alone
I might have been standing on the top of the world
What a difference a day makes
I turned and watched you walk away
I might have been standing on the top of the world
‘Cause I might have been wrong
You can listen to the Full Song HERE.
I got a hold of this album recently and couldn’t have predicted the timeliness of it.
The whole CD is full of songs about our journey here on God’s earth. At times His plan is clear, at times it only brings questions and heartache. Through it all we are reminded that “we are not that far, not that gone”. We see in the pain and suffering that we endure that it is not an absence of His presence but, on the contrary, it is Him pulling us closer to Himself, closer to Love.
I like this particular song because of it’s humility. I might have been wrong. I might have been scared. Who knows…things could have been just fine…but wow, what a difference a day makes. Regardless of what it was, I see that if I left Him behind…that is the point that things went haywire.
If we move from the place of communion with Jesus our lives will become a runaway car. We are filled with questions and we bear a weight that is meant to press us back to Him.
Where I find myself today is that strange place of just asking the questions. Where am I Lord? How did I get here? What does this weight mean? Lord, help me.
I would recommend picking up the CD if you get a chance. It has been an encouragement to me…who knew?…well…
