Things I Don't Understand, part four

Obnoxious “Merry Christmas” Christians (see previous post).

Bob Dylan’s popularity.

Why those who insist that Acts 20:7a is binding precedent, but 20:7b is not.

News segments designed to inform people how to prepare for winter (e.g. “have a shovel handy” or “wear gloves when it’s cold outside.”).

My Yearly Rant

Ugh, here we go again. I received the following in my inbox this morning:

Sign your pledge to boycott Walgreens this Christmas season.

November 21, 2011

Dear Friend,

Yesterday, Walgreens placed a 24-page circular in newspapers all across America. It had all the festive markings of that day known as...Holiday? It's true! At Walgreens, they advertise "Holiday Candy," "Holiday Gift Tags," "Holiday Gift Wrap," "Holiday Decor," "Holiday Accessories," "Holiday Nuts and Snacks" and "Holiday Hats and Stockings." But no Christmas! In total, Walgreens used the term "holiday" 36 times, rather than using "Christmas."

Oh, the trees advertised in their circular? It's just "Prelit" trees. Go to Walgreens' website and you can shop their "Holiday Shop" and take advantage of their "Holiday Shipping." If you want Christmas, it's not there.  At Walgreens, Christmas doesn't exist! Walgreens wants you to do your "Christmas" shopping with them, while refusing to recognize that Christmas even exists.

Walgreens doesn't want to offend non-Christians by using the word Christmas. The fact that they're censoring the use of Christmas and might offend Christians by doing so seems to be of no importance.

TAKE ACTION, blah blah blah.....

Seriously, "Christians" are still pulling this crap? See previous rants here and here.

Invest in Young People

I read something today that was a much-needed reminder:

What causes some young people to walk away from the faith after they graduate from high school? And, more important, what causes other young people to hang on to their faith during those post-high-school years?

A few years ago, I heard a Christian sociologist offer his assessment: "The most important factor is not whether the young person "accepted Christ' or was involved in a youth group or even went on a missions trip. The key factor seems to be how many meaningful relationships the young person has with Christian adults who are not his or her parents."

ReChurch

The staff and some elders from Cedar Creek just returned from the ReChurch Conference hosted by Indian Creek Christian Church in Indy. This was our second year attending. It was great last year, and this year it again exceeded my high expectations. The theme was  Surrender: A Surrendered Church. A Surrendered Team. A Surrendered Life. The worship was powerful and the messages were convicting. The Holy Spirit moved the hearts of our team members, especially mine. ReChurch came at just the right time. God has a way of doing that.

These past two days have served as a catalyst to motivate us to clarify our vision and redefine our roles. We have a lot of work to do. But I’m excited and looking forward to seeing how the Lord leads us.