Lies and Myths Archives - Page 10 of 12

The Myth of Soul Mates

The term “soul mates” has been around a very long time.The concept of having one person in all the world with whom you share great love, closeness, and connection (mentally, physically and spiritually) is a notion that has penetrated popular culture.

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato is believed to be the first person to write about an “other half,” the missing person in one’s life. From his concept came the great loves we have grown up reading about: Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Ken and Barbie.

The movies are filled with stories of people searching for their one true love and never feeling fulfilled until the moment their soul mate appears. Now, I’m a romantic and I love hearing stories of true love. Hearing about the couple who were engaged on their first date because they “just knew” makes me smile.

But is there really only one person for everyone? Do each of us have a soul mate? Or is it a Hollywood tale of love not rooted in reality? Continue reading The Myth of Soul Mates

The Buffet vs. the Potluck

Over the last few days my husband and I attended an organic church (house church) conference, THRESHOLD, in Orlando. Despite being sore and tired both emotionally and physically from the car accident, we boarded a plane, knowing God had something for us there…and He did. I have so much that I hope to share and write about on Modern Reject over the next few weeks, including today’s post…

Growing up I used to love Chinese food buffets. I loved the variety, the endless row of choices. I would gorge myself of crab rangoons and sweet and sour chicken. My single mom liked buffets because they were cheap and easy. She could feed her growing girl for half the price.

The traditional Sunday church is very much like an all-you-can-eat buffet. There are 3 reasons, in fact, why Sunday morning church as we know it resembles a buffet: Continue reading The Buffet vs. the Potluck

My Biggest Mistake as a Christian

I had worked with Kate at a restaurant waiting tables. We had classes together in college. We were even lab partners in biology.

Our friendship grew as we spent more and more time together. She shared with me about her boyfriend drama. I shared with her about church and God.

She quickly knew I was a Christian. Slowly, she showed more and more interest in this “church thing.” Before I knew it, Kate was joining me for my Thursday night college church group. She sat crying during service one night.

She began asking pointed questions about Jesus and salvation. Her own salvation seemed eminent. But then I messed up the whole darn thing and made one the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made as a Christian. Continue reading My Biggest Mistake as a Christian

Vanishing Men

This last week, two posts of mine–Christian Women and the S-Word and Have Sex Even When You Don’t Feel Like It--produced some rather angry, snarky, and downright rude comments. All of these comments, surprisingly, were from men.

Huh, go figure. It wasn’t women telling me that I am sexist, perverse, or sending women back into the dark ages. It was a bunch of dudes.

One person left perhaps the most hateful comments I have ever received on Modern Reject: Continue reading Vanishing Men

Theological Ninja or Sucker?

Today’s post is my contribution to the Rally to Restore Unity hosted by Rachel Held Evans. Our goal is to end “flippant dismissals” and raise money for Charity Water while we are at it.

When I first met Tim, I was 23 and searching for a new church–a place I could call home. Tim came off a bit weird to me at first. To call him unconventional would be an understatement.

He was loud, gregarious, politically incorrect, and even mildly inappropriate (according to Christian standards). He even offended me a few times.

“This guy is the youth and college pastor,” I wondered? Really? Uh, okay…

It wouldn’t be long before my judgmental eye-rolls and deep sighs would be challenged. It wasn’t long before God gave me the proverbial Holy Spirit smack down. Continue reading Theological Ninja or Sucker?

What are Your Labels?

I don’t like labels. They turn me off. “Emergent” this. “Reformed” that. Baptist, Catholic, Charismatic, Calvinist, Arminianist, Non-denominational (a non-label-label).

There was a time, however, when labels felt right–when labels were one way of sorting out the world. High school. Everyone wears a label in high school, whether self-assigned or not. Carlos Whitaker wrote a post a week or so asking about high school labels. We all had one…

…Stoners, wannabes, slackers, jocks, skaters, punks, preppies, geeks, goths, loners…

My high school labels were both deserved and unwarranted. I teetered between the in-crowd and the outcasts. I had friends and foes on both sides. I was popular on a Monday and rumored to be a whore by Thursday. Continue reading What are Your Labels?

The Disappearance of Satan

When I was a child, I was given a Bible filled with the most detailed and elaborate illustrations.

The one that most fascinated me was the drawing of Lucifer. His darkened wings spanning wide to display his might and power. He was beautiful, captivating really. Other angels cowered before him in the picture, yet the background showed darkness drawing near.

The illustration had such a mesmerizing and yet ominous feeling and even then, at the age of perhaps 6, I knew he was real. I had no doubt, some 10 years before accepting Jesus, that this Satan fellow was a real person. So why can a 6 year old believe and yet many in the church refuse to acknowledge Satan’s existence and power? Continue reading The Disappearance of Satan

The Mediocre Evangelist

This post is from the archives and is one of my favorites.

Evangelism is one of those Christian words we throw around so easily and casually. I personally don’t like the word. “Go evangelize!” It kinda freaks me out. I envision myself standing on a street corner wearing a sandwich board while holding a megaphone shouting, “Sinner!” at the top of my lungs. Not a pretty picture. Not a loving picture. Not a picture I’d ever like to see.

But somewhere between street corner evangelism and Christ’s command to go out and make disciples, we have lost the true meaning of evangelism. We have replaced what should be sharing the Good News with a somewhat sad and pathetic alternative. Instead of actually sharing the Gospel, we do something else and hope that it is enough.

What is it we do instead of actually evangelizing?

Continue reading The Mediocre Evangelist

In Defense of Housewives

I have always disliked the term “housewife.” Blame it on my background, but it has always sounded a bit like a plantation term. Or it sounds like a woman who is “kept,” bought and paid for, with nothing to do but stay home and stuff her face full of delicacies.

I prefer “homemaker.” I do, in many ways, make my home. However, I’m not solely responsible for my house being a home, either.

I still have not gotten used to telling strangers and people I am meeting for the first time what it is I do when they ask. Sure, if I’m meeting another Christian, I know it is usually safe to say “I stay home with my kids.” But other people raise an eyebrow, scan me up and down, and then say, “Oh…” as if they are disappointed in my career choice.

That’s why I’ve decided to come to the defense of housewives and homemakers everywhere…someone has to, why not me? Continue reading In Defense of Housewives

Sunday–The Most Segregated Day of the Week

I had the privilege of meeting pastor, and now author, Scott Williams, at last year’s Catalyst Conference. I can say, with not a shred of mockery, that he might just be the coolest guy on the Internet.

A week or so ago, I broke open the race can here on Modern Reject and personally shared with you all of my feelings as a “mixed” race Christian. I have long struggled with the lack of diversity within the Church and I am not alone. Scott Williams has just published a compelling and stirring book, “Church Diversity-Sunday The Most Segregated Day of the Week.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy. In it, Williams strategically explains how and why, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s declaration that Sunday is indeed the most segregated day of the week rings true, even today.

I wanted to share a video with you that emotionally touches on this topic. (It is only 1:35 long, too. Bonus.) Then, I’d like to open up the conversation.

Here are some questions to consider:

How do you feel after watching this video? Hopeful? Angry? Frustrated? Indifferent?
Why do you think the American Church has continued to remain segregated?
Have you ever struggled with the lack of diversity within the Church? If so, how and why?
Have you ever had the blessing of being in a racially, economically, and/or socially diverse church community? If so, how did that experience affect you?
How do you think theChurch as a whole can combat and conquer the racial divides so prevalent in our churches?

I am beyond excited to start this dialogue with all of you. This is a conversation that needs to be had by every believer. As Scott Williams explains in one of his compelling videos, the church is “not a white church or a black church. It is God’s church.”

P.S. For everyone that leaves a comment, you will be entered to win a free copy of Church Diversity-Sunday The Most Segregated Day of the Week. I’ll choose a winner at random on Friday. Good luck!