Religiously Transmitted Diseases
April 23, 2008 11:41 pm Church Life, Family Life, Students, UncategorizedI worked most of the day mapping out my new series, “Religiously Transmitted Diseases.” There is a book out with the RTD title that I picked up but it went a different direction than I had in mind. I have been thinking about this series for almost a year now and now it is time to bring it on. I might write more about it later this week, but let me ask you this question? Can you name a religiously transmitted disease? I would love to hear your feedback on this one.
I finally made Jean’s famous salsa today. Alli and I killed it. Not sure how much salsa is safe to ingest but maybe some of you MD’s out there can give me some advice. Maybe I will post the recipe on my blog soon - but in the Cremeans family tradition, I would have to remove a key ingredient so yours wont taste as good. (my West Virginia roots really practice that stuff!)
My 12 year-old son blessed our family with some amazing chocolate chip cookies tonight. Not sure they mix great with the salsa. Bailey is a great cook. I made him a deal. I would do his chore of washing the dishes if he would bust out his culinary skills. The boy has mad cookie skills!
So, I go in to get me another cookie and I see Bailey putting some foil over a plate of cookies with some guy named Ryan written on them! What is up with that Bailey. They were for Ryan Geiger, our student pastor. Hope he isn’t counting on me to deliver…they will be great for breakfast. Seriously though, how cool is it that Bailey is thinking of his pastor during the week? He is practicing hospitality and he is being mentored. Ryan is pouring into his life. Ryan - there is no other person I would want pastoring my son!
One last shout out to Michelle’s Dad, Steve, and his wife Sandy. I heard through the family grapevine that they are keeping up with my blog. Glad to have some representation from Arkansas.
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raysheeth :
Date: April 24, 2008 @ 8:28 am
How about gossip, John? That has to be an RTD. When someone tries to speak about someone else and that changes your whole out look on people. It changes how you view whoever they are talking about and the person doing the talking! Even if you are just listening you are still fueling it. Can’t wait to hear the messages in this series! Have a great day and know that you are loved!
Jeff S :
Date: April 24, 2008 @ 11:07 am
Hopefully, I’m going in the right direction with your question. I would have to say that bitterness is something that can easily be transmitted especially amongst believers. One person’s view on worship, rituals, sermon topics, style of preaching, or even something such as the quality of the nursery workers could alter the mindset or view of others that come in contact with the bitter person. And a lot of times the bitter person will continue to spread and could easily bring others down. Sometimes it’s very easy to be swayed by negative thoughts! Hope this helps.
Now….if there’s just a way I can get my hands on Bailey’s chocolate chip cookies…hmmmmmm?????????
Jennifer :
Date: April 24, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
We miss being neighbors for many reasons, not the least of which is the Cremeans baked goods!!
As far as the RTD series, probably the most obvious one that comes to mind is LEGALISM…so confining and destructive to all that God can really do thru a church and it’s people!
una :
Date: April 24, 2008 @ 1:51 pm
Hi John,
Send some of those cookies Paul’s way!! He needs some meat on his bones!!!
As for RTD, I would have to say that Elitism is a big one. The mentality that “we are better than you” is not what God intended in building His church. It can cause pain and even turn people away from Christ.
Debbe :
Date: April 24, 2008 @ 7:11 pm
“Well, I only told her so that she could pray for you…”
Jill :
Date: April 24, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
So many raves about the cookies — it looks like you might have a future dessert chef on your hands, John & Michelle!
As for RTD, this idea is similar to others’: the heir of superiority. Some Christians throw around their superiority complex around non-followers; but the real pros love to play the game with other Christ-followers. “Well, at MY church…”, “Oh, MY Pastor would never do/say that, he would…”, etc.
Similarly, I cannot stand when people accuse others of representing the devil’s presence, when in reality, the accused is just a normal person who has a differing viewpoint/work ethic/mood. If there’s a lack of malice, how can it be the devil??? The accused might just be someone who is giving the person a pain in the bum…but it’s not the devil!!
debbe :
Date: April 25, 2008 @ 9:33 am
pseudo-prayericus virus
quasi-religicopea
more-elitist-than-you-eology
i-never-watch-tv-immuno bacterius
gossipteum
non-compassionate-nature syndrome
Job-hadit-worse-than-you malady
perfectus-interruptus
dechurched-disease
debbe :
Date: April 25, 2008 @ 9:44 am
“you are not Christian unless you vote for ___________.” i have actually had this said to me.
Debbe :
Date: April 25, 2008 @ 5:07 pm
and my all time favorite: Biblio-Translatoria where one of the symptoms sounds like this:
“I will not go to any church that does not use the King James version of the bible.”
John Cremeans :
Date: April 25, 2008 @ 6:54 pm
Thanks to all for your comments…
Ray…good one with gossip - the church might have the market cornered on that one
Jeff - the church has scared lots of people away…me included
Jennifer - I am hitting legalism in week two!
Una - a couple of hits on the elitism. Kind of goes with isolationism (week 5)
Debbe - you might need to do your own series
Good stuff.
John Cremeans :
Date: April 25, 2008 @ 6:55 pm
Jill - I have been called the devil a few times myself. Ouch.