Stop complaining start a revolution
Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by Nick the Geek in All, Youth Pastor
So a few weeks back I had a young man visit the church for the first time. He was wearing a shirt that was probably intended to get a reaction. I did react to the shirt but not likely the way he thought I might. I agreed with it and encouraged the notion.
Sorry if the language offends you but I didn’t design the shirt. With my students I try to be very frank and real with them. They are likely to say these kind of words so I guess I just don’t get offended by them. I don’t bother with them myself but I figure there are worse things in the world, and complacency is one of them.
Something is wrong when we get more offended that the short has a “bad word” on it than at the idea of complacency that allows us to complain about our situation without doing anything about it. I am personally ready to see a revolution in the church and in our culture. I am preaching word of Life from what Christ said and these teens are really getting onboard. I think they are ready for a revolution. I am tired of talking about change. I’m ready to make waves and ride them to a new place.
On a side note, Monday I saw a bumper sticker that proclaimed “Question Authority.” Actually the car was covered in bumper stickers to that effect but was a really nice $50k SUV … seemed ironic but whatever. It occurred to me that I am basically holding to that idea and even preaching it to some degree and yet I am now part of the authority. Anyone else think that is ironic?
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Rebecca
Nov 11th, 2009
I know several "salty" Christians…they may use language like that, but their hearts are pure gold and they are the best example of living like Christ that I know. Keep us posted on the revolution…and don't forget that every revolution has a leader. As long as you question yourself now and again, you're good.
Jake
Nov 11th, 2009
Off with their heads! Umm. . . . I mean YEAH! I tend to side with your thinking. I think that to a degree revolution should always be happening within the church simply so we can always be prepared to follow God, whether that be away from tradition, out of our own selfish ways, or whatever! Good post.
katdish
Nov 11th, 2009
Well, I for one, am offended. Monkey butt, katdish
jstainer
Nov 11th, 2009
This reminds me of a recent song that came out by Derek Webb where he used some language and people freaked out over it, yet completely missed the point. Authority in and of itself is not the issue so much as the top down style of authority. Good post.
MarniW
Nov 11th, 2009
Now I'm singing the Revolution song by Kirk Franklin…and maybe dancing a little in my chair…maybe not.____If we're going to have a revolution for Jesus and His truth, it's going to come from this generation we're raising. I'm praying for them. I'm praying for them to be brave and let God use them to usher in His Kingdom. I'm praying for you as you equip and encourage them.
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
One of my favorite "elderly" woman in the church is this 90 some year old who isn't afraid to say damn, hell, and ass. She says "It's in my Bible so I can say it." She is a real saint and amazing prayer warrior. I have only met a few people as sold out as she is.
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
I agree that we always need a kind of revolution. We end up with an established religion that gets fat, lazy, and corrupt and then a revolution takes us back to the root, which is Christ, and cuts out the death or religion that has tried to strangle the Church. Time for us to wake up.
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
Another day another goal, Monkey Butt heart 2u2.
Sarah Salter
Nov 11th, 2009
I think that the times I'm really offended by language are when words are intended hatefully, insultingly, disrespectfully, or maliciously. For example, that t-shirt doesn't offend me at all, but I WOULD be offended by a person who refers to someone else as a "retard" while attempting to degrade them. Or hearing an adult call a child/teenager an "idiot" or "loser" or "worthless." Those are the types of language that bother me.
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
people freak about the dumbest stuff. I was preaching to my youth about Peter's denial and they were off in their own place until I translated what he said into modern English. That got everyone's attention.
Steph @RedClay
Nov 11th, 2009
I have no problem with bitching. Either the word or the act. But there's no place in a pastor's blog for monkey butts.
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
This post was inspired by a story I read where someone paid for an ad campaign in the subways of NYC. The ads stated "God doesn't belong in our city" or something to that effect. Students and their pastors started their own campaign that went viral for "God belongs in our city."
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
This post was inspired by a story I read where someone paid for an ad campaign in the subways of NYC. The ads stated "God doesn't belong in our city" or something to that effect. Students and their pastors started their own campaign that went viral for "God belongs in our city."
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
This post was inspired by a story I read where someone paid for an ad campaign in the subways of NYC. The ads stated "God doesn't belong in our city" or something to that effect. Students and their pastors started their own campaign that went viral for "God belongs in our city."
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
This post was inspired by a story I read where someone paid for an ad campaign in the subways of NYC. The ads stated "God doesn't belong in our city" or something to that effect. Students and their pastors started their own campaign that went viral for "God belongs in our city."
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
This post was inspired by a story I read where someone paid for an ad campaign in the subways of NYC. The ads stated "God doesn't belong in our city" or something to that effect. Students and their pastors started their own campaign that went viral for "God belongs in our city."
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
Yeah I tend to get offended by that because words carry power when we assign them to others. Why sow death when you could sow life? "That which you sow shall you also reap"
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
You have a problem with monkey butt? I gotta solution [youtube mHOw2E3f1p8 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8 youtube]
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
You have a problem with monkey butt? I gotta solution [youtube mHOw2E3f1p8 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8 youtube]
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
You have a problem with monkey butt? I gotta solution [youtube mHOw2E3f1p8 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8 youtube]
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
You have a problem with monkey butt? I gotta solution [youtube mHOw2E3f1p8 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8 youtube]
Nick the Geek
Nov 11th, 2009
You have a problem with monkey butt? I gotta solution [youtube mHOw2E3f1p8 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHOw2E3f1p8 youtube]
sherrymeneley
Nov 12th, 2009
If we all could be a little more Anne Lamott-ish, then the world could see a real God that loves real people and hugs them with real grace.
Nick the Geek
Nov 12th, 2009
I tend to call that being Christ like, but then again Paul said "follow me as I follow Christ" so having real people today we can point at makes it easier to see the example so … yeah, good point.
Helen
Nov 12th, 2009
While I am not a fan of the "b-word" and a lot of other words, I agree with Sarah that there is a difference between someone using the word hatefully, and someone using a particular word because it will grab people's attention. I think not letting it grab your attention the way the young man planned was a smart move.
bman
Nov 13th, 2009
I'm hardly offended by that shirt. I actually think that because of it's "shocking" delivery, it actually lends to what the shirt is saying, at least if you want to immediately Christianize it. It's pretty much an encapsulation of what Jesus taught. Quit whining, follow me. And he started a revolution. It wasn't what people expected, but it's exactly what happened.
Nick the Geek
Nov 13th, 2009
I could have sworn I replied to you earlier when I replied to steph. Weird. Anyways, I said something like "I really hate hurtful speech and it bothered me a lot when some adults got so offended by some vulgarity that they insulted the youth and called them freaks. I'd rather hear the youth say cuss words than adults call kids names any day."
Nick the Geek
Nov 13th, 2009
Funny thing is, he wore that shirt again to youth the night I wrote this. I was all "hey I wrote about that shirt on my blog today" and explained the context of it. Very cool.
Nick the Geek
Nov 13th, 2009
Yep and he started the kind of revolution we need today, which is why I very much appreciate the idea behind the shirt.