Now, I have to admit that I have moved to the edges of the Christian community and of the books I’ve got going right now, one is on paganism and the other is on Celtic shamanism. Actually I think I'm on the edge of the cliff ready to dive off, but this left even me shaking my head.
Saw something Saturday that I’m still kind of trying to make sense of. In some ways, I think it’s evidence that many groups who call themselves Christians don’t really have a clue what they’re doing or how they got there.
There’s an Open Bible Standard church on Centennial. It’s one of those charismatic, Pentecostal denominations. It’s Saturday right? Smack dab between Good Friday and Easter, right?
You know, Good Friday; the day Jesus found himself rejected by the temple establishment and condemned by the Romans? Yeah, that day. Then comes the day after when his followers were scared, grieving or hiding; probably all three. If I had been one of them, I don’t think fun and games would have been anywhere near the top of my list of things to do that day.
I might have been trying to figure out how to get out of Jerusalem without being arrested for consorting with a condemned traitor, maybe crying my eyes out because a friend and teacher had been executed in one of the more brutal methods the occupying government had at its disposal, or perhaps just numb.
That said, what do I see outside this building? A shitload of cars and a big, pretty sign advertising their Easter carnival.
Granted, lapsed Methodist that I am, I never even heard of Lent until I was mid college and exploring everything under the sun except being a Methodist. But, we’ve got a theoretically conservative, Bible believing, fundamentalist congregation having a carnival on the saddest day of the Christian calendar. Am I missing something here?
4 comments:
Hmmm...I'm thinking that a carnival makes some sense if you are celebrating Eostre/Ostara. Fertility, rebirth, rejuvenation...bunnies, eggs, sex in the new grass (well, at my house anyway--hahaha)
But looking at our "Christian president" and all those "Christian candidates," maybe it is a good thing that Christians aren't seeing the political within the holiday. Don't want to give the "moral" majority any excuses to start hanging people, ya know. --Cin
I guess I don't see why anybody even bothers trying to understand xtians anymore. I look at them as feral ferrets with tiny, infected brains.
ugh
Russ
Having a mother who was a stout Penecostal believer (I'm talking never cutting your hair if your a woman, sleeves to shirts down below the elbow and dresses below the knees - no jean type of heretic) I find it even funnier to think of any Penecostal church having a Carnival. It's so....against the grain of what they believe in. Stranger than fiction type stuff, in reality. I'm kind of blown away by this. Seriously my mother is the reason for me not embracing the Christian theology - Ever! (Hugs) Indigo
I was also raised going to a pentecostal church. The closest thing to a carnival was walking around the neighborhood with a tambourine inviting people to church, or having potluck dinners after meetings! We did dress up with gloves and Easter hats and I did have Easter baskets at home. Blessed Be! Dannelle
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