For the next several blog posts, we're going to discuss my reactions to the book by Kevin Roose called, The Unlikely Disciple.  For introductory information concerning the book, click here.

What is the most important piece of information a Christian needs to know?  That Jesus is God's Son?  That there's only one way to salvation?  That Jesus died for all sins and all men?  That He rose from the dead three days later?

Answer: none of the above, judging from the curriculum at Liberty University.  As Kevin Roose discovered in all of his classes, from Old Testament History to New Testament Survey to Evangelism 101, to be a Christian, there are three 'essential' truths:

1.) Abortion is Murder.
2.) Evolution Didn't Happen.
3.) The Bible is Absolute Truth.

Now, I'm not saying that I wouldn't agree with each of the above statements.  Whether they're true or not is not the point - the point is that to a non-believer, the dominant theme in Bible College was not the love and grace of a forgiving God showing himself in the form of a humble carpenter, but instead, that America is full of wicked sinners, science is wrong, and the conservative view of the Bible is the only one allowed for God's people.

Unfortunately, this teaching had its way of filtering down to the lives of the students.  Roose's best friend was a guy he called 'Jersey Joey,' and Joey was the resident prankster and rebel in his dorm.  Joey's 'rebellion' taught Roose all he needed to know about what was truly important to the student body and professors at Liberty.  He observed,

"The trick to being a rebel at Liberty, I've learned, is knowing which parts of the Liberty social code are non-negotiable.  For example... although they may harass the naive pastors' kids on the hall by stealing their towels from the shower stalls - leaving them naked, wet, and stranded - they'd be the first people to tell you why Mormonism is a false religion.  In other words, Liberty's true social code, the one they don't put in a forty-six-page manual, has everything to do with being a social and religious conservative and not a whole lot to do with acting in any traditionally virtuous way." - page 91.

What Roose noticed is precisely the problem with much of evangelical, conservative theology - it doesn't filter down from a person's head to a person's heart.  It's one thing to believe that God created mankind without evolution, but if that doesn't spark a deep respect for all people around us, who cares that you know it?  And while the conservative view is that abortion ends the life of another person, if we don't show compassion and understanding to young girls who are struggling with that decision (or who have made the decision in the past), then no amount of intellectualism will advance the kindgom of God.

When Jesus was asked what was truly important, He answered simply, 'love God and love other people.'  In other words, if we have a true, Biblical devotion to God, we will inherently develop a love for other people, especially those that don't agree with us.

If we're going to follow Jesus (as opposed to a conservative Christian religion), then we're going to have make some tough decisions when it comes to how we prioritize what's most important to our faith.  We're going to learn a lot of things, and we're all going to be effected by the knowledge that we have. For far too many, that knowledge has led to judgment, intolerance and hate.  For you and I?

I hope and pray that our knowledge leads to love.  

For the next several blog posts, we're going to discuss my reactions to the book by Kevin Roose called, The Unlikely Disciple.  For introductory information concerning the book, click here.



There are, as you may imagine, quite a few differences between the ultra-liberal, secular Brown University and the ultra-conservative, Christian Liberty University.  But never do the two seem as polar opposite as when one reads what's called, 'The Liberty Way.' 

For Kevin Roose, reading the rules that he was expected to follow was basically reading his own prison sentence.  For the students at Liberty, there would be no alcohol or tobacco use allowed; no R-rated movies, cursing or risque pictures on the wall; no hair touching your ears, earrings or any other body piercings; no shorts or shirts without collars; and absolutely, positively, no physical contact with members of the opposite sex outside of holding hands.  And if you break one of these?  The punishment is a series of 'reprimands' (which add up to your expulsion) and fines ranging from $10-$500!  Needless to say, the Liberty way is NOT the way most college students live.

But for Roose, it wasn't just the written rules that were difficult, but instead, the unwritten rules.  It's one thing to avoid alcohol, but you also have to pray before every meal or you'll be looked at as a heathen.  And it's a whole lot easier to avoid saying certain four letter words than it is to talk about what 'God is doing in your life' with every Joe and Jenny you run into.  As he put it,

"There's just so much to think about.  Every hour of the day is filled with hundreds of chances for error.  I'm scared to talk for fear saying something immoderate.  I'm scared of eating in a group for fear of praying the wrong way before my meal or violating some biblical silverware law I don't yet know about." - page 29.

The fact is that living a life for Jesus of Nazareth was never meant to be easy.  After all, self-denial, sacrifice, unconditional and universal love, forgiveness and devotion to someone you can't see are anything but simple concepts to live out, especially at first.  Unfortunately, for so many people, they never get a chance to get to the Jesus stuff, because they're too busy trying to wade through all the church rules.

At one point in the semester, Roose got to the bottom of why there were so many rules.  The answer, he was told, was that with the restrictions they had, they were free to devote their time to prayer, study and personal growth.  That may be well and good - but that idea is impractical at best and unbliblical and worst.  For many Liberty students (as Roose would eventually discover), the rules were simply motivation to find creative ways to rebel.  Instead of freeing them to do the right thing, they were spurned to do the wrong thing.  And even for those who did follow the Liberty Way to a 't,' what did they gain?  The false sense that they were making God happy by following man-made rules.

There are two Biblical principles that we all need to understand: God loves you as you are, and you cannot manipulate Him into loving you any more that He already does.  The fact is that Jesus came to this earth, suffered, and died, knowing full well how terrible we are - and He loves us in spite of our failings.  And God is not impressed by our devotion; He is not served by human hands.

That's why the apostle Paul described the Christian life as a life of freedom - freedom FROM rules so that we can be free to live out our relationship with God in most passionate way possible.  And if restricting yourself from watching R-rated movies or having a glass of wine at dinner helps you to follow Christ, great!  But that doesn't make it necessary.

The bottom line is this: when we present the gospel of Jesus Christ to other people, we need to cut through all the Christian jargon and religious tradition and offer the hope that comes from Jesus.  It is not our religion or our devotion that earns our friendship with our maker, but our trust in the one, true God of the universe who showed Himself as a man.  Jesus changes people's hearts and minds, and when He does, He changes them into a new creation, a person after His own heart.

And at the end of the day, I certainly trust Jesus' way over the Liberty Way!

Imagine for a moment that you've never stepped foot in a church.  Oh sure, you've visited on holidays a handful of times, but that really doesn't count.  And imagine that you were raised in a home of non-practicing Quakers who share little to nothing in common with your average believers in Jesus.  And while we're at it, let's pretend that you know exactly zero born again Christians.

With all of that in mind, here's the question: what do you think of the American, Conservative, Evangelical, Christian Church?

That very question, in that exact context, is answered by Kevin Roose in his fascinating book, The Unlikely Disciple.  A student at Brown University in 2007, Roose decided to transfer to Liberty University, the brain-child of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell.  The school's mission, in its own words, is to 'train Champions for Christ,' and that mantra has helped it grow into the largest Christian university in the nation.  How did Kevin Roose end up there?  Out of pure intellectual curiosity.  In his words,

"One recent study showed that 51 percent of Americans don't know any evangelical Christians, even casually.  And until I visited Thomas Road, that was me.  My social circle at Brown included atheists, agnostics, lapsed Catholics, Buddhists, Wiccans, and more non-observant Jews than you can shake a shofar at, but exactly zero born-again Christians.  The evangelical world, in my mind, was a cloistered, slightly frightening community whose values and customs I wasn't supposed to understand.  So I ignored it.

After my visit to Thomas Road, though, I was hooked... I began to realize the importance of knowing about my Christian peers." - p.9-10

In short, Kevin Roose decided to pretend that he was something he was not (a Christian) in order to enroll at Liberty and learn about Christianity in an unfiltered, brutally honest context.  And what he learned changed his perception forever.

For our purposes, though, The Unlikely Disciple is an invaluable resource as we strive to connect with the non-believing world around us.  Through the eyes of one who needs to find a saving relationship with Jesus, we see what we're percieved as.  This information is hugely important, because in light of what we learn, we can truly cultivate a lifestyle that shows those around us why we are who we are.

So, what we're going to do is simple: for the next several weeks in this space, I'm going to post my reaction to certain sections of the book.  It's not always pretty to see what others percieve us as, but it is important that we look in the mirror.  The good news, for you, is this: you can gain spiritual lessons without having to plow through a 300 page book!

Sit tight and get ready - it's going to be a wild ride!  And hopefully, it will be worth it, as we learn how we can better connect with those who desperately need to find the hope we have in Jesus.

It is, right now, just before midnight on Tuesday, August 11.  And that means that three years ago today, I committed to be the best husband I can be to the most beautiful bride in the world.  We went on a honeymoon then, and now, three years later, it seems like a good time to take another vacation.

So, in just a few hours, the two of us will be boarding a plane to Los Angeles for a week of fun and, I'm sure, a dozen or two blog posts.  It should be fantastic.  It does, however, mean that we won't be at church on Sunday, and that is anything but fantastic.  However, just because I won't be here this week doesn't mean that YOU shouldn't be - and here are two reasons why.

First of all, for as long as I've served here, whether I've been preaching or the youth minister, I've worked hard to make sure that the ministry is not about me.  After all, the church isn't about me - it's about Jesus.  So, why should I be the face of ACC?  YOU are the face of ACC.  Further, I'm not the leader of ACC; the elders are, and I work alongside them.  So, everything should be business as usual - you guys are here, led by the elders, to worship Jesus. 

Second, and more immediately, Josh Pugsley (one of the newly appointed Youth Ministry Interns of ACC - more details here) will be continuing our Mythbusters, Season 2: the Office series of sermons.  Let me tell you, as someone who's had a sneak peek at his message: it's going to be fantastic!  He's going to bust a myth and bring the truth in a powerful, powerful way, and you're going to be blessed to be here for it.

So, I'll definitely miss y'all, but I'll be back before you know it.  And right now, it's 12:03 which means, there's one place I need to be - with my wife.  See you soon! 

Sometimes something I say or do will illicit a response I never intended - there are times when I hope to make someone laugh, and they don't, or I try to convict someone of something very serious and they think it's funny.  And sometimes, a blog gets taken in the exact opposite way than I originally intended.  So, with that in mind, I feel compelled to address a comment regarding yesterday's blog.  Here it is, from someone anonymous, unedited:

"great blog Drew. on the caring about other people we should realize this also includes other peoples feelings, everyone has feelings and they can be hurt by what some may think a small item. short time in the past it was heard in church that someones manner of dress was not up to ACC church standards. We all need to realize that maybe a person doesn't dress as good as we feel they should but maybe that is the best this person as. I don't think that GOD cares what a person is clothed in on the outside but instead his concern is the soul of that person. That person came to worship GOD with us not thinking that our church had a dress code in which case most of the people better start watching how they dress or maybe care about their souls instead of how someone is dressed."

Now, first of all, I absolutely agree with what appears to be the main point here: we shouldn't care what a person wears to church.  Further, it'd be downright hypocritical of us to demand some sort of dress code or 'ACC church standard,' seeing how this past Sunday we had an elder in shorts and a t-shirt doing a communion meditation.  So, as far as that goes, I'm completely on board.

However, I do think that the purpose of the blog may have been missed a little.  See, when I talked about extending grace in an imperfect church, I was talking about exactly these types of situations.  While I don't agree that we should care what someone's dressed like, as another poster pointed out, the context of this situation is missing, and we have no idea what was actually said.  And besides, in a congregation of 160 or more people of a variety of ages and backgrounds, you're bound to run into someone who looks different than you on any given Sunday.  The question I want to answer now is simple: once you've been offended, rightly or wrongly, what should your response be?

I think I'm going to turn to the Bible on this one.  The apostle Paul addressed this very issue in his letter to the Romans, saying,

"Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.  Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him judge whether they are right or wrong. And with the Lord’s help, they will do what is right and will receive his approval." - Romans 14:1-4 (NLT)

What Paul was trying to get was this: when it comes to matters of opinion (like what a person wears to church), there is no right or wrong answer.  Each person has to decide, according to their conscience, what they will do for themselves.  However, while it may be wrong for someone to pass judgement on someone, there is an appropriate response, and it's that response to being offended that I was hoping to convey.

Paul says that we should accept those whose faith is weak.  In other words, if someone offends you by passing judgement on something you've done, it's NOT ok to complain about them to other people, take pot-shots at them or pray imprecatory prayers about them and their families.  And it certainly is not ok to harbor bitterness or anger towards them indefinitely until they 'get theirs' or you 'get even.'  THIS is the meaning of grace - to forgive someone even when they don't deserve it, and to love them even if they don't show you the same.

Assuming that what supposedly happened, happened, then no - it was not acceptable for a member of our church to judge the clothing of another church member.  But it's equally unacceptable for the offended individual to carry a grudge or speak badly about that person.  We're called to love and accept one another, whether our faith is weak or strong, and that's that.  After all, grace is a two-way street; you can't expect to recieve it without expecting to give it.

And besides - there's STILL nowhere I can go to get some good, gas station fried chicken in this town!

(note #1: the following comments are in no way intended to offend 7th Century monks, the city of Philadelphia, or anyone who's ever had an aunt named 'Anne.)

It began, as many trips to the gas station do: with a craving. 

For the past few days, I've had a hankering for some good gas station fried chicken.  There's nothing quite like it - it's always greasier than what you find at a grocery store or KFC, leaving the low quality white bag translucent, and coupled with a crispy potato wedge or seven, a couple of Chester's chicken strips hit the spot unlike anything I can think of.  Of course, living in the thriving metropolis of Ashland, Missouri, means, among other things, that gas station fried chicken is at least a ten minute drive away.

(note #2: This may be the most inexplicable thing I can think of about living in this town.  We have four, count 'em, four gas stations within the first half-mile of exiting into Ashland, and not one of them has fried chicken. Unbelievable.)

Well, as it turns out, I wasn't 100% sure that one of the gas stations didn't carry what my heart desired (you know the one - you're never quite sure if it's open, because every other time you stop in, it's closed.  Yeah.  That one.), but sure enough, when my endeavor proved to be ultimately fruitless, I settled on an old faithful snack: Chex Mix.

Now, I've long loved Chex Mix.  Well, I should qualify that statement - I love most of what's in Chex Mix enough so that I'm able put up with the obligatory chore that is eating the terrible pretzels contained in every bag of Chex Mixy goodness.  It's true - the little bread sticks and waffly chex pieces and weird brown and white chips are utterly fantastic.  And because they make my stomach smile in a way that no other snack truly can, I have learned to deal with the fact that someone at Betty Crocker made the worst decision they've ever made, and they ruining what should be the perfect snack mix with the inclusion of stinky pretzels.

(note #3: I'm in no way talking about soft preztels.  Those are great.  I'm talking about the little hard ones with just enough salt glued on to make you think, 'hmmm... this is almost not a terrible thing I'm eating.'  Almost, but not quite.)

As I sat in my office eating the delicious snack that will surely ruin my dinner, it got me thinking - this is what I mean when I say what I say every Sunday morning at invitation time!  Almost every week, as I wrap up the sermon and explain how it is that a person gives their lives to Jesus Christ and is saved, I say something along the lines of, 'if you're looking for a perfect church, I hope you find it.  Unfortunately, you're not going to find it here.' 

Ashland Christian Church, just like the almost-perfect Chex Mix, is always going to be flawed.  There will always be things here for you, that, just like pretzels, make you wonder, 'what were they thinking?'  You know why?  Because we're people, and people aren't perfect.  If we were, we'd have no use for Jesus.  But the fact that everything we do revolves around Him just goes to show just how imperfect we truly are.
 
That's why it's so important for us to take Sunday's message to heart.  While dispelling the myth that the church is a building or a God-ordained social club, we learned that the church is a community that's united by one commonality: the Holy Spirit.  If God's Spirit is the line of demarcation, then that means that you and I are going to run into a whole gaggle of people who may not think like us, look like us or act like us.  And yet, they're part of the family; just because they're imperfect in a different way than us, that doesn't mean they're not part of the community that is the church.  

All of this means that we're going to have to daily work to extend grace, forgiveness, and love to people who we may or may not always feel like caring about.  And it means being willing to accept grace, forgiveness and love from people we don't feel completely comfortable around.  Like it or not, if you're going to follow Jesus, you're going to be in the same boat as a pretzel or two; and believe it or not, as great as you may think you are, there are other people who might feel like you're the one who should be left out of the Chex Mix.

After all, there isn't a gas station in Ashland that sells fried chicken!