The Emerging Church Newest Leader... Brad Pitt

Here is one that is stranger that fiction... and though I am trying to not read Christian Research Network it seems to drag me in like a sleazy news tabloid at the grocery counter... (BTW Did you know the Roundup Sheriffs found Bigfoot!?)

The "editor" who writes suspiciously like Ken Silva shows us that he can connect anything with the emerging church... Brad Opens Up About His Faith

"In this piece People gives us a capsule of the emerging church mentality and the new evangelical infomercial gospel in the following from Brad Pitt, "who was raised a conservative Southern Baptist," but then pursued "God" his own individual way which lead to "a discovery of self":"

Now, after reading this article I thought that there was more of a problem that is NOT BEING addressed with he Baptist denomination at the time Brad Pitt was in a spiritual crisis. They were not RELEVANT to Brad's situation. This goes deeper than Brad Pitt being selfish... it goes to the core that if we as a church focus on things and call everything sin that is not sin (going to a concert) we are driving people away from Jesus. I was personally saved at a church who was giving a Christian rock concert... and it was in no way a "liberal" church... it was pretty mainstreamed. Imagine if a youth pastor had been able to take Brad to a Christian rock concert and that was enough to keep Brad out of crisis and refocus on Jesus.

We tend to make things MORE enticing when we make them taboo...

Instead of seeing this as a point where relevance would have possibly allowed Brad to grow more in his faith, I see Ken just sees it as another time to "gossip" and attack the emerging church and connect it with whatever he can. What is really sad is that I came across an article on a website that was posted in 2005. Ken seemed to have a good grasp of reality... it seems now he will grab any gossip mag like "People" to prove his research.

The blame is not on us... it is on Ken's own denomination... which now is accepting to emerging church more and more seems to be missed on Ken as he is in an "emerging" denomination. He rants regularly against the SBC in which he is ordained.

Source 1 http://christianresearchnetwork.com/index.php?s=southern+baptist

Source 2 http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/11/open_letter_to_1.html

Source 3 http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/11/update_on_sbc_d.html

Source 4 http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/01/ken_silva_on_th.html

It seems that Ken is willing to stay in a denomination he regards as apostate, and condemn someone like Brad Pitt who was in Ken's own denomination... and blame it all on emergents... Strange logic if you ask me... I see at least Frank Page is trying to make a difference.

Now the real question would be (for the girls and those so inclined) ... If Brad Pitt came to your church, would that in itself be an attractional ministry?

Be Blessed,

iggy