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Fat Tuesday, Lent, & You

Today is Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday. For many, this is a celebration of drunken revelry. Countries around the world take to the streets, squares, and community areas to celebrate one last hoorah. Is today really about a huge celebration with no purpose, or is there something more here that involves all of us?

In reality, Fat Tuesday is the last day in the Christian calendar of the season of Epiphany, just before Lent. Traditionally, Catholic and Episcopal cultures around the world use this day before Ash Wednesday to celebrate. Historically, this is the final day that some Christian communities indulge in sweet rich food that are forfeited during Lent. Lent, the period of 40-days (not including Sundays) is the time that Christians prepare for Easter and for spiritual insight.

No matter how strong your connection to Christianity is, or your lack of connection, Fat Tuesday involves you. Why? The answer isn’t very religious, but more practical. Continue Reading…

Churches

Why the NYC church ban doesn’t make sense

As if we don’t need another church and state battle in the news, New York City churches were granted a 10 day reprieve to continue to meet in public school buildings. An ongoing legal battle for 17 years has some New York City churches at odds with the city government. The New York City Board of Education’s policy states that no permits will be granted “for the purpose of holding religious worship services, or otherwise using a school as a house of worship.” In other words, a church ban. However, NYC does allow community groups, including religious ones, to use its buildings.

The whole “separation of church and state” argument really doesn’t have merit. By allowing churches or religious groups to rent space from schools, that does not constitute an endorsement of religion. If all religions are allowed to rent space, then the freedom is not restricting nor hindering religious practices. The New York City Department of Education has defended its decision because the city needs to protect the minds of “impressionable youth”.

Of course, the fear is that children will walk into schools and see a cross, hear a sermon, or have to see other religious icons. This is based on anxiety… fear. Simple guidelines can prevent such interactions. Have churches only meet on weekends when children are not in school. The New York State Legislature recently introduced a bill that sought to allow churches to meet in schools, which some have criticized.

This whole debate doesn’t make sense. Continue Reading…

St. Valentine

The Origin of Valentine’s Day

Today on this Valentine’s Day, the average person will spend $126 on their loved one, which amounts to about $17 billion this year in the United States. An estimated 4 million Americans will propose to their mate. Like it or not, today is a big deal! As you give that Valentine to your loved one, did you know that this holiday has a religious history?

The origin of Valentine’s Day is mysterious. Valentine’s Day comes from a figure in Christian history but the exact identity of St. Valentine is difficult to prove. Tradition holds Valentine was a priest in Rome, who aided and sheltered Christians in persecution under Claudius II. In addition, he married Christian couples under the newly found faith of Christianity. Valentine was caught, and sent to Rome to renounce his faith. Valentine was be beaten with clubs and was be beheaded. He was executed on February 14, sometime around year 270.

One tradition holds that Valentine himself sent the first “Valentine” card:

grammys

LL Cool J acts as chaplain at Grammys

At a time when the music industry was mourning the loss of Whitney Houston, rapper LL Cool J acted as an impromptu chaplain to those at the Grammys and millions of viewers. As the Grammys opened, many viewers were wondering how the Grammys would incorporate the tragic loss of Houston’s death.

http://youtu.be/EccEBBR9VzQ

LL opened with these words:

“Tonight, we ask ourselves: How do we speak to this time, to this day? There is no way around this – we’ve had a death in our family. And so at least, for me… the only thing that feels right is to begin with a prayer for a woman that we loved, for a fallen sister, Whitney Houston.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us. Today our thoughts are with her mother, her daughter and all of her loved ones. And although she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit and to have her lasting legacy of music to cherish and share forever. Amen.

That said, welcome to the 54th Grammy Awards.

Rick Warren

Rick Warren’s purpose driven weight loss

Rick Warren, a mega-church pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life, latest weight loss ministry has raised questions about the purpose of a church. Warren has lost 60 pounds under a new ministry called “The Daniel Plan“. The Daniel Plan is based on the story of Daniel only eatting vegetables. The weight loss lifestyle ministry employs healthy eating, regular exercise, stress reduction, prayer and small groups meeting in church member’s homes. Apparently, the ministry is effective. The church claims to have lost over 250,000 pounds among its 30,000 members.

What sparked this ministry? Warren explains his revelation to CNN:

On that particular day, I was baptizing 858 people… That took me literally four hours. As I’m baptizing 858 people, along around 500, I thought this … ‘We’re all fat. But I thought, I’m fat,” he said. “I’m a terrible model of this. I can’t expect our people to get in shape unless I do.

This weight loss ministry for Warren’s Saddleback Church is catching on. Dr. Oz is now partnering with the church and is providing a fitness and diet plan.

Is Rick Warren’s latest announcement a gimmick for weight loss or is there something deeper going on?

clergy

The cult of Christian celebrity

I must admit, as a pastor it is very easy to raise up followers of your ministry. That might not sound bad, but it is. Your purpose as a pastoral leader to raise up disciples of Christ. There are a lot of pastors out there that just make mini-disciples of themselves. Pastors who make people pledge their authority to a leader fail to see how hurtful it is, such is the case if you join Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church.

As we have seen the rise of mega-churches, we have also seen the rise of mega-egos. Churches who center a cult of celebrity around their pastors often feature the pastor’s image alongside the church. If a church presents itself as, “Pastor Joe Smith and Christ Community Church” (not intended to be a real church) then, Houston, we have a problem.

Case in point, Bishop Eddie Long, who recently was tainted by a sex scandal, was recently crowned “King” with a kingdom as a Torah scroll was wrapped around Long. Worshipers bowed before him.

Check out the video: Continue Reading…

the work of the associate Pastor

PRE-ORDER my book, “The Work of the Associate Pastor”

Judson Press just made my book, The Work of the Associate Pastor available for pre-order. Judson currently has a web special of $11.99.

From Judson Press:

Having spent more than ten years in pastoral staff ministry, Alan R. Rudnick brings a wealth of research and experience to the often undervalued ministry of the associate pastor. Inviting readers to understand associate ministry as more than training ground for a senior pastorate, Rudnick explores the diverse roles and responsibilities that fall under the associate umbrella. From life-stage ministries with children and youth, singles and seniors, to specialized ministry areas such as music, education, pastoral care, and counseling, this volume acknowledges the challenges and opportunities offered to associate pastors in their distinctive ministries. The book’s appendix offers practical resources for churches:

How to plan for an associate
Sample job descriptions
Compensation guidelines

Associate ministers also will find a personal assessment, helpful in discerning when to stay and when to leave their associate position. Overall, this is an ideal resource for graduating seminarians seeking associate opportunities, as well as church leaders looking to establish an associate position.

Obama, prayer

At prayer breakfast, Obama is theologian-in-chief

At the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning, President Obama got theological in front of 3,000 attendees. Obama pulled passages from the Bible to encourage governmental policies to help the poor and provide more opportunities for the disadvantaged. Drawing from Jesus’ words, the president encourage higher taxes on wealthier Americans.

Drawing upon faith tenants from almost every world religion, Obama said,

“For me, as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much shall be required… I know that far too many neighbors in our country have been hurt and treated unfairly over the last few years, and I believe in God’s command to ‘love thy neighbor as thyself. I know the version of that Golden Rule is found in every major religion and every set of beliefs -– from Hinduism to Islam to Judaism to the writings of Plato.”

Last year, the president used the opportunity to proclaim his personal relationship with Jesus Christ at a time when 1 in 4 believed he was a Muslim. This year he shared how he begins every morning with prayer and a scripture devotional. In addition, he shared his experience and prayer time with Billy Graham, perhaps the most impactful preacher/pastor in the 20th century. Obama gave an insight into his personal prayer life since meeting Graham:

Book Review, Book Reviews, introverts in the church

Introverts in the Church

Giveaway: Win a copy of “Introverts in the Church” by subscribing to alanrudnick.org, follow @alanrud on Twitter, comment on this post, or “Like” the Facebook page. The winner will be selected @ 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

In college, I was able to spend time with two international public speakers, pastors, and authors. These two people were electric in front of people. Able to be funny, compelling, and keep a crowd’s attention. As I spent one-on-one time with these speakers, I realized that they were withdrawn and seemingly non-social. Was there something wrong with me?

If you are public speaker or a church person it must mean you are an extrovert! Singing, talking, eating, serving and doing all those “churchy” things in public. Enter, Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh.

McHugh dispels the myth that only extroverts can thrive and lead in the church. He traces the Great Awakening as an important moment for extroverts coming to the forefront of church lift. Outdoor preachers like George Whitfield set the standard for grandstanding preaching. Since half the American population is an introvert it would only seem logical that there would be many books on introverted people in the church, but there are not.

There is a great deal of psychology in the book. McHugh doesn’t shoot from his hip (that wouldn’t be very introverted, would it). He supplies a ton of data and cultural studies on American’s habits and church culture. The author is quick to present a more complex nature to introverts than just shyness:

joe paterno, penn state

The Story Behind the Penn State, Nebraska Pre-Game Prayer

If it is one thing that came out of the Penn State-Nebraska game, it was not a loss for Penn State. It was a win-win for both teams. Why? Check out how the game started:

That man standing in the center is Ron Brown, an assistant coach with Nebraska. Notice in the picture that in a packed stadium, both teams, game officials, and coaches are present. What a display of unity, support, and class for college football. While many students rioted (or for some, protested) Joe Paterno’s departure, these college athletes stopped and made a statement. They prayed. For some, it may have been a moment of silence, but for others it was a start to the path of healing.

This shows all the world what is at the heart of people in college sports despite the actions of key leaders in the Penn State football program and university. There is still a sense of concern for the victims, the university, and students. They are all in it together. We are all in it together.

Back to the picture.

Who is Brown? And what did he say when this picture was taken? The Washington Post gives us some more info on Brown:

joe paterno, penn state

Sins of Omission: Paterno, Penn State

Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Joe Patern...

Image via Wikipedia

By now, most the country has heard about the shocking revelation that former Penn State football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky had inappropriate sexual contact with children associated with his foundation, The Second Mile. Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing several, possibly 20, boys from 1994 to 2008. A three-year grand jury investigation revealed that several Penn State administrators knew of Sandusky’s actions but did not report it. Penn State officials Tim Curley and Gary Schultz appeared in court yesterday to answer charges of lying to the grand jury.

Sandusky’s action, as reported by the grand jury investigation, are appalling. What is almost equally shocking is that it appears that people at Penn State knew of at least one case of abuse and failed to act. A graduate assistant coach, Mike McQueary, witnessed Sandusky engaging in inappropriate contact with a boy and the assistant coach reported it to head coach Joe Paterno:

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Archives:

Fat Tuesday, Lent, & You

Why the NYC church ban doesn’t make sense

The Origin of Valentine’s Day

LL Cool J acts as chaplain at Grammys

Rick Warren’s purpose driven weight loss

The cult of Christian celebrity

PRE-ORDER my book, “The Work of the Associate Pastor”

At prayer breakfast, Obama is theologian-in-chief

Introverts in the Church

The Story Behind the Penn State, Nebraska Pre-Game Prayer

Sins of Omission: Paterno, Penn State

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