"Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined", as they say.
I remember when I was young, a Hooter's began to build a restaurant right at the doorstep of a prominent local church. In the ensuing uproar, spokesmen for the church said it was indecent, and it was an outrage to have such an establishment within eyeshot. Remember, this is a restaurant with a "breast motif". Waitresses wear orange shorts and t-shirts in there, no joke. And you know, it's called...HOOTers. Gasp.
Now here is a 360. After years of attending the AVN porn fans convention and ministry to porn addicts, the XXXChurch guys have taken their show to the strip. That is, they're planting a church there. Strip Church. Takin' it to the streets, or slouching toward Gomorrah?
Okay, we pulled your string -- let's hear you talk.
JB
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6 comments:
time will tell. I think that if the Lord is behind this, then it will prosper. I will not speak negatively about this at all. I believe this is what is meant by "taking the message to the lost". I think more results will come from this than passing out leaflets inviting the "sinners" to attend a church. Jesus worked among the sinners. The field is more dangerous than staying in one's own church building and asking the sinner to come to us. But.... Jesus did it regularly. He did it with Zacheus...Jesus went to Zach's house. (One does need to be diligent while one is walking with the unGodly or standing in the way of sinners or sitting in the seat of the scornful.) One needs to stay in touch with the master and remember "why" he is in the way of the sinners.
I saw a video interview of Craig Gross, founder and leader of xxxchurch.com and the Strip Church plant. One thing that stuck out in my mind was that the majority of hate mail they receive about this endeavor for Christ is from "Christians."
Well sadly, I can't see the video, which is probably a sign from God that I should be spending less time on this blog while at work.
Can I just post a picture of me wearing my "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" t-shirt? That shirt always seems to garner some interesting reactions.
I find it grimly amusing that so many Christians nauturally assume that darkness necessarily overcomes light.
The light shines in darkness. Period.
i think this is a beautiful move for the church. Jesus did not come for to heal the healthy, but the sick, and this church recognizes that truth from Scripture. i also loved what he said about the people who went to the adult expo to reach out to people in the porn industry, how it repulsed them even more because they could associate it with real people who have real souls. i think that we as christians often miss this point when we avoid cultures that we associate with sin. instead of finding people who are hurting and in need of a Savior, we see evil and debauchery. but Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and as his followers, we should be following his footsteps down into the dark places to shine his light there.
it'll definitely be hard, and the jesus followers who are going there will have more need for community and support from each other than any other church i can think of. and they definitely need to be surrounded by praying people.
but who doesn't, when you're really following Jesus? it's hard.
Aye, mates. We spend too much time trying to make church a safe place for God.
But he insn't scared. Jesus is brave enough for a suicide mission. And he's awesome enough to come back from it and show off the scars.
And you know what else? He says: As the father sent me, so I am sending you."
Whaddaya say, unMonks?
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