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Rick Warren to Launch Magazine

January 29th, 2009 by religiontranscends

Christian evangelical pastor Rick Warren has had quite a year. And it’s about to get a little crazier.

The author of best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life and the controversial man who prayed at the presidential inauguration is now launching a magazine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest is launching Purpose Driven Connection, a quarterly magazine to be bundled with social media including a Facebook-type Christian site and DVD guides for prayer group leaders.

If Ministry Today’s predictions are correct, then Warren is on the right track. The ministry mag recently issued an article warning pastors that personality-driven ministry is out – and new connections like social media are in:

“When it comes to churches and ministries, simply upgrading your graphics, music and lighting and dumping the tacky onstage furniture isn’t a strategy. That’s just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. You need a fundamental “rethink” of what story your station, church or ministry is trying to tell, what that means to your audience, how to connect with that audience and why it’s absolutely urgent they respond right now…Understanding that connection is a critical step in finding your audience and reaching the next generation.”

Filed under: Christianity, Protestantism | 1 Comment »

Celebrate the Year of the Ox!

January 28th, 2009 by religiontranscends

Sunday marked the beginning of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration, and Monday ushered in the Chinese Year of the Ox.

Based on the Chinese calendar, animals rotate and reappear every 12 years (i.e., the last year of the ox was 12 years ago). The coming of this new year marks the completion of 2008, the Year of the Rat.

The New Year’s celebration is noted by the entire Chinese culture, though it’s celebrated in different ways by different religions including Buddhism and Confucianism.

So what does the ox symbolize for 2009?

One Buddhist temple told Independent Online that the ox symbolizes hard work and reliability. This comes at a great time, considering much of the world is looking forward to hunkering down and fixing grave economic situations.

For Zen Buddhists, the ox may call to mind the Herding of the Ox parable. Here is Zen Buddhist D.T. Suzuki’s version:

Here we see that the ox’s “great will and power” are inexhaustible and that he is capable of a “terrific struggle.” When we discover that we are the only source of his energy the “struggle” will be over. Although he is always with you, you can’t turn around fast enough to see him. Now you’ve caught him, he can no longer hide. Still, he seems insubordinate, used to his old ways, searching for new satisfactions while remaining always unsatisfied. You think you can whip him into obedience, yet another illusion!

For Confucianism, the ox symbolizes righteousness.

Reliable, righteous, hard-working – this lunar year should be quite upstanding.

Filed under: Buddhism, Confucianism, Holidays | No Comments »

Religion Divides Great Britain

January 25th, 2009 by religiontranscends

Religion is the biggest “headache” in Great Britain, according to a recent government-sponsored British poll.

As reported by Religion News Service and Hinduism Today, the survey showed that religious intolerance is worse than racial issues in Great Britain – and has not improved in the last ten years.

See information from the 2001 census about religion in Great Britain.

Filed under: Statistics | No Comments »

Pope Launches YouTube Channel

January 23rd, 2009 by religiontranscends

The pope is broadcasting on YouTube.

This morning, the Vatican launched its own YouTube channel to better involve Pope Benedict XVI with the international Catholic community — and hopefully improve his image at the same time.

Though he remains concerned about the way the Internet can keep people from interacting face-to-face, trivialize sex, and promote violence, the pope praises Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube for their ability to bring the world together and build friendships.

Check out the pope’s YouTube channel today to see daily Vatican news.

Visit the Vatican Web site.

Filed under: Catholicism, Christianity | No Comments »

Atheist Attempts to Remove God References From Inauguration

January 19th, 2009 by religiontranscends

Recently, an atheist from California attempted to have all references to God removed from Obama’s swearing-in ceremony (to be held tomorrow).

Then last Thursday, a judge denied the request.

The judge, Reggie B. Walton, denied Michael Newdow’s request saying that the speech was no different from prayers held in the Supreme Court. This was Newdow’s third attempt at having religious references removed from presidential inaugurations, according to Religion News Service.

One of Newdow’s lawyers said, “This case is not about atheists merely feeling offended. There is real harm…violating the principle of separation of church and state, which is the basis for our religious liberty.

Filed under: Atheism, Religion and Politics | No Comments »

First Woman to Deliver Post-Inauguration Ceremony

January 13th, 2009 by religiontranscends

On January 21, Rev. Sharon E. Watkins will deliver a sermon at the national prayer service following the presidential inauguration.

Selected by Obama, Watkins will be the first woman to ever lead the service, which is held the day after the inauguration ceremony. The new president and VP will attend the service with members of the Supreme Course and Congress.

Watkins is president of the Christian Church denomination. She told the New York Times that she plans to speak about “the deeper unity we have as a human family” and will speak to both Christians and people of other faiths.

Filed under: Christianity, Protestantism, Religion and Politics | No Comments »

Cowboy Church Rides Into Town

January 12th, 2009 by religiontranscends

Churches are closing, sure. But new Christian churches are popping up. And they’re not your typical traditional churches.

The new churches? They combine rodeos (yes, like bull-riding) with church. The so-called “cowboy church” is a 40-year-old concept but has become increasingly more popular among Baptists. Its unusual nature is now garnering national attention.

The Southern Baptist Convention has started dozens of churches in 12 states. And the Baptist General Convention of Texas has started 140 rodeo churches in the last 8 years.

So what do you do at cowboy church? It’s probably what you’re imagining. People show up in jeans with cowboy hats, they meet on rodeo grounds (sometimes after an actual rodeo is held or as part of a rodeo event), and baptisms often take place in horse troughs (ok, you may not have expected that one).

Is the cowboy church a trend or the future of the Church? We’ll see, y’all.

Filed under: Christianity | No Comments »

Churches Face Foreclosure

January 6th, 2009 by religiontranscends

Hundreds of churches face foreclosure, according to the Ministry Today and the New York Times.

The crisis has arisen from mortages on churches, which increased by 50% from 2002-2005. And borrowing peaked in 2006 as more and more churches began new constructions. Facing insurmountable debt, many churches may now be forced to close their doors.

Church lender N. Michael Tangen told wsj.com that “there have been too many churches with a ‘build it and they will come’ attitude. They had glory in their eyes that wasn’t backed up with adequate business plans and cash flow.”

What do you think? Is new construction necessary to gain new church members? Is it the fault of the lenders? Do you attend a house of worship facing foreclosure?

Filed under: Christianity, Statistics | 1 Comment »