American Bandwagon

The Kansas City Royals and why many Americans identify with winning sports teams even if they did not know who they were last week..

 

 

"Once I had fame
I was full of pride
Well, there were a lot of friends
Always by my side

But my luck ran dry
Now my friends begin to hide

Everybody loves a winner
Everybody loves a winner
When you lose, you lose alone."

 

U2

Achtung Baby (1991)

 

Like freshly made popcorn, I have seen Kansas City Royals hats "popping up" on people’s heads all over town and grown men frothing at the mouth and feverishly launching themselves on the trendy Kansas City Royals bandwagon quicker than jumping jack flash. 

 Now, don’t get me wrong, I like underdogs and I believe the Kansas City Royals deserve a lot of credit for making the Word Series after decades of losing and horrible teams.

Yet, recently I have noticed the “bandwagon phenomena,” that is a phrase I have coined to describe a pretty common tendency in many American sports enthusiasts to immediately become so called “fans” of a winning sports team. 

I have seen it for most of my life and it saddens me, because most of these people have not rooted for the Kansas City Royals before their run to the World Series and will drop them like yesterday’s trash if they lose to the Giants.

I wonder how many of these new Royals fair weather “fans” will pay attention to them next year?

I think we all have jumped on the bandwagon at one time or another but this is madness! People are spending their hard earned money on Kansas City Royals baseball caps and jeresy's even though they don't know where Kansas City is or that they were a major league team a month ago!

I believe this “bandwagon phenomena” betrays a tremendous weakness in American society and causes people to identify with winning sports teams as though this identification with a winner will somehow fill the tremendous void in their lives and authenticate their lonely existence. By identifying with a winner, they somehow feel they will be popular and be perceived by their peers as winners too.

It is a very sad trend in our culture and shows the bankruptcy and transient nature of American culture.

Just yesterday I heard a guy say that he would spend hundreds of dollars on a plane ticket and even more money on a World Series ticket is he perceives that the Royals have a shot at winning the championship because he craves the front runner...

I have a confession to make, I did not care about the Kansas City Royals before their recent run to the playoffs and while I think it is a novel thing to see them make the World Series this year, I don’t think I will care if they win or lose.

This sports bandwagon phenomena demonstrates the utter bankruptcy of the human heart and American soul.

 

 

 

Burned by the Fire of Fundamentalism

                                              "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord."

                                                                                            Psalm 130:1
                                 

                                                          

And when Man gained dominion
over land and the oceans
he began to harm the planet
with his asphalt and his toxins
and to lay the forest bare
and to poison even the air
and he killed every beast
and taught the seas how to bleed

Burned by the fire we make,
what a shame...

"Burned by the Fire we Make"

 Andrew Belew

------------

"Losing My Religion"

R.E.M.

Oh life, it's bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I've said enough

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I've said enough

Consider this
Consider this, the hint of the century
Consider this, the slip
That brought me to my knees, failed
What if all these fantasies come
Flailing around
Now I've said too much

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough

I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try
That was just a dream
Just a dream
Just a dream, dream

it was just a dream...

                                                              

Yesterday I received an email from someone I have not spoken to in several years. He started off the email, with the following words,

"Hope that you are doing well at Princeton. Be careful of all of the liberal theology."

This is not the first email or exhortation I have received like this. I have received incessant emails and phone calls warning me over and over again about perceived and alleged "liberalism" at the school and community I have chosen to earn a master's degree at.

I understand their concern, I really do. It is in the very fabric and cultural ethos of American Evangelicalism to attack perceived liberalism in everything and anything that comes its way.

I am personally burned out with this sort of fundamentalism. "Burned out" is actually a major understatement. I have been shredded bare by fundamentalist Evangelicalism. I am burned to a crisp and can not take any more. Specifically, I am opposed to the Christian fundamentalism that began in the early 20th century here in America as a reaction against alleged theological liberalism and cultural modernism in some mainline churches and in society. The worst case of this sort of fundamentalism was on display in the 1925 Scopes Trial and exists today in such denominations such as the Southern Baptist Convention.


I have wasted almost my entire life being part of an expression of Evangelical Christianity that sees as one of its main functions is to attack liberalism.


As for me, I am not a fundamentalist anymore. I am not sure if I really ever was. I am just a Christian guy trying to make his way in this harsh and bitter world.


I have nothing more to give to a fundamentalist Christian movement that only criticizes culture and does a very bad job even doing that.

Yes, it is true. All the rumors are correct. I have lost my "religion" I have thrown away the fundamentalist creed of attacking what I we do not understand. I am done with that. I have lost the religion of fundamentalism for sure. In its place I have found the God of historic Christianity.

I should have been with Him in the first place. I still believe in God, the Trinity and all the essential truths of the historic Christian faith. I still can say this with all my heart.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Why I am Praying for Mark Driscoll

    By now most of us have heard that Mark Driscoll has resigned from his position as Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. If you have not heard this news, you can click on to the following links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/us/mark-driscoll-evangelical-megachurch-mars-hill.html?_r=0

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/10/15/mark-driscoll-top-megachurch-pastor-resigns/

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/october-web-only/mark-driscoll-resigns-from-mars-hill.html


I am personally saddened about this turn of events. I really respect Mark Driscoll on many levels and pray that his departure from Mars Hill is the best for him and his family.

While I can understand why Mark Driscoll stepped down from his ministry and probably support this step, I am heartbroken because I personally love him and believe in his ministry. As a fellow Evangelical with similar theological views, I agree with much of Mark Driscoll's outlook and feel bad that this has occurred. Mark is a great man and great teacher of God's Word and I wish him the very best.

I do not support many of the questionable things Mark Driscoll has done over the years and think over all that him stepping down from leadership from Mars Hill is best for his church and for American Evangelicalism. I do not rejoice in Mark Driscoll's resignation and fall from public grace.

Mark Driscoll is a very gifted man and my prayer is that God will restore him to ministry in some capacity in the future. I am very sad about this and words cannot express how bad I feel for him and his family. Whether or not if you were a supporter of Mark Driscoll, please pray for him and his family.

 I can only imagine how bad they feel right now. I hope he has a group of dedicated and loving Christians around him. I am sad that there are people out there who were hurt by Pastor Mark and pray for reconciliation between all parties.

There is much about Mark Driscoll I can relate to. His resignation from his pastoral position caused me to reflect upon my own life and ministry.

On Controversy, Blogging and Honoring Christ

Guess who's back, back again
Eddie's back, tell a friend
Guess who's back,
guess who's back,
guess who's back,
guess who's back
guess who's back
Guess who's back?

Over the last couple of weeks I have received a lot of feedback on some of the posts I have published here on "Theologian X." Through emails and instant messenger on Facebook, some people have let me know that they did not appreciate the controversial nature of some of my blog posts.

While I want to respect the concerns of these individuals and produce a blog that is honors Christ in all that I communicate, I think it is important that I state clearly at this juncture, that I cannot promise that I will not post blogs of a controversial nature. In fact, I will. I will also publish controversial blog posts regarding the Southern Baptist Convention. I will try not to let bitterness overtake me, but promise to comment on the SBC objectively in  manner that honors Christ and is relevant.

I have never been one to mince words and avoid controversy and I will not now. I will try to listen to the concerns of my readers, but cannot promise that I will always write on things that you agree with. I also want to say that the days of me taking down controversial blog posts are over. From now on, what I have written will remain as is on Theologian X whether or not it is controversial or happens to offend..

I plan on writing on a lot of issues facing the Evangelical Church and the Southern Baptist Convention and will often push the envelope in communicating my views. I do want to honor Christ in all that I do here, but cannot promise that I won't step on toes and break some dishes in the process.

Moving forward, I have big plans for this blog and am working on incorporating this blog into my larger website that will also include my podcasts and videos.

I plan on throwing down the proverbial gauntlet and to quote Eminem, "it is about to get heavy in here."

The Holy Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness

            Romans 8:26-30

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstbornamong many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

The Lordship of Christ and Social Media

                        "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"

                                                                                        1 Corinthians 10:31

With the ability to rapidly spread our every thought and cognitive whim through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other modes of social media, it is possible to develop the tendency to believe we can communicate in a matter that is without consequence or repercussions. However, certain events in recent days have caused me to reconsider how and what I blog about.

Over the last month or so, internal tracking technology shows that over 1000 people have read this blog. This is probably due to the controversial nature of some of my posts. While I could write more and more controversial posts to generate a wide following with this "Theologian X" blog, I am reconsidering what I am doing here.

In the last week or so, I have received calls and emails from individuals with concerns about what I am blogging about. I was generally pretty impervious to these complaints until one of my best friends called me with questions over some of the things I have written on this blog. 

I have come to conclusion that if I am going to blog, I need to write on things that glorify God and edify my readers. I realize that I must be under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in everything I do, even social media blogging.

Above everything else in life, I am a Christian who believes in the authority of the Bible that teaches explicitly that Christians are under the Lordship of Christ in every aspect of our lives.

Why I am in Princeton, NJ

"That in all things Christ may have the preeminence"

 (Colossians 1:18)

I come from a rich and very conservative heritage, deeply rooted in the very bosom of the Evangelical Christian faith. I make no apologies about where I come from and what I believe. My Calvinist and Bible believing Evangelicalism is very precious to me. I am also proud to have come out of the Calvary Chapel movement in Southern California. For me to deny my roots in the Calvary Chapel movement would be for me to deny myself.

In my heart I will always be that same beach bum evangelist who used to share the gospel down at Newport Beach Pier in Orange County every Friday and Saturday Night and then attend services at Calvary Chapel every Sunday Morning and Sunday evening.

With this rich conservative and Evangelical Christian heritage, many may ask why I have left everything to go back east to attend Princeton Theological Seminary, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world? I have come to Princeton, NJ on a mission.

 I want to study the great ideas of Christian history from great scholars and in a rigorous academic atmosphere. I also want to take classes and study at Princeton University and study political science with some of the greatest scholars in the world. Princeton New Jersey is like very few places on earth, it is a center of unbelievable academic excellence and I count in the greatest honor of my life just to be here.

I know that not everyone here shares my same belief system and staunch conservatism. That is ok because I love meeting people from various backgrounds and cultures. I am challenged by the fact that most of the people around me are a lot smarter than me and came from more prestigious colleges and universities than the small Evangelical schools I attended. That is also ok, because I love the challenge.

I am a conservative Evangelical in Princeton and there is no other place on earth I would rather be. I am challenged by the diversity of thought and culture I encounter here. I want to be a scholar for Jesus Christ and as Abraham Lincoln once wrote in his journal years before he was President, "I will study and prepare, perhaps my time will come." As for me, I am in Princeton, I will study and I will prepare with great rigor, and perhaps my time will come! I do all this for the glory of God and to be the best Christian I possibly can be.