Generous Greed

It's like the lotto... give and God will make your barns and wine presses 'burst' with plenty (Prov 3:10). The strange internal battle around generosity wars between true generosity and greed. I don't believe in the prosperity gospel (!!) but God says if we give he will bless... (wait... what is the prosperity gospel again?)

See, it's tough. I am supposed to give for generosity's sake, but I have these patterns of thought that God is obligated to bless since I gave. I was obedient, so pay up! How easily we can slip into greedy generosity?

A Challenge to the Emerging Church

Ok... I know the emerging church is a very, very broad catagory and very few churches call themselves emerging or emergent. They seem to be assigned the name from outsiders.

Anyway, I once heard a critique that emerging leaders often call those who criticize them intolerant, insensitive, mean and divisive. It seems when they get cornered they pull out that card. I see this when it comes to sermons. I have heard some of these emerging leaders say that preaching is an art. And I agree. The problem is that critiquing art is different than critiquing truth. And when you criticize some emerging leaders they take it personal and it attacks their identity and say it is out of bounds to critique because its an art.

Just saying...