Sacrifice is an essential component of The Way of Jesus. In Luke 9 our Lord said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it." Likewise, in Philippians 2 Paul writes, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Insists Upon Actually Making Sacrifices to Serve Others
Humility
Beatnik Christianity Sees Christendom As Nauseating to the Kingdom of God
Christendom is to the Kingdom of God as cancer is to the human body. It's a corruption that insidiously warps and seeks to kill our Lord's spiritual vision. That's why it's beyond tragic that so many Jesus followers today hear the words "Kingdom of God" and conceive of something vaguely akin to Medieval Christianity where the institutional church exercised hegemonic power over … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Sees Christendom As Nauseating to the Kingdom of God
Beatnik Christianity Harmonizes the Scientific Method with The Way of Jesus
Science and scientism are often conflated, so let’s differentiate them. Science is "a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe." Scientism is "the opinion that science and the scientific method are the best or only way to render truth about the world and reality." Science is a methodology for … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Harmonizes the Scientific Method with The Way of Jesus
Beatnik Christianity Accepts Only Authentic Apologies
The small group leader erupted in rage and publicly threw you out of his home. All because you asked a sincere question about an unsightly passage in the Old Testament. His action damaged a number of relationships. A month later, he begrudgingly says, "Fine. If I hurt your feelings, I'm sorry, OK?" If?! The pastor's wife gossiped about you in the guise of forming a prayer … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Accepts Only Authentic Apologies
Beatnik Christianity Restores the Tension Between the Individual and the Community
Not only is contemporary Western society the most radically individualistic in all of human history, but American society is at the apex of that hyper-individualism by a long shot. It'd be like building the Burj Khalifa skyscraper atop Mount Everest. Our lifestyle of relentless self-interest is truly unprecedented. Yet any call for the restoration of a healthy balance or … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Restores the Tension Between the Individual and the Community
