BST's Blog

Fiction: Jesus was an easy going guy who was always nice.
Fact: Jesus had a lot of hard teachings and harsh words to say...especially to "religious" people. When is the last time someone compared you to a viper?

Fiction: forms of worship=worship renewal.
Fact: worship comes from the heart--Jesus said it himself to the religious people of his day, "You come close to me with your lips but your hearts are far from me". Just because a church has a praise team, choir, or guitar does not make them a more worshipful church than another who may only sing hymns or use liturgy. And--just because a church worships in a more traditional style does not make it more of a worshipful place than those who adopt a more contemporary style.

Fiction: Contemporary churches know more about worship
Fact: I've been to churches where the worship was contemporary and yet the songs were very "surfacey" and the message was nothing more than a self-help version of Oprah.

Fiction: Otter Creek is a perfect place
Fact: We probably share a lot of the same kinds of struggles. This church is filled with people who are trying to live lives of worship but find themselves falling short and in need of the blood of Jesus

Fiction: Calling anonymous, blog-posting, stone-throwers "shadow lurkers" means that I think conservatives are shadow lurkers.
Fact: Anonymous blog posting stone throwers are ridiculous. If you're conservative or progressive, let's have a conversation and grow from it.

Fiction: Progressives and conservatives can never live in unity
Fact: If we love Jesus, we'll find a way to keep the conversations open and learn from each other.

and...

Fiction: Sweet tea, birthday cake, onion rings and fried cheese are all high in calories.
Fact: Sweet tea, birthday cake, onion rings, fried cheese...along with homemade ice cream, real whipping cream, a big juicy rib eye, and a Route 44 cherry lime slush are all really, really good for you. (time for dinner!)