Jesus Hates Cynics! A.K.A I wonder if Jesus finds Owl City catchy?

    I'm a cynic by nature, that's just the way it is.  I came out of the womb cynical of everything.  If you tell me that a certain book is good, I will automatically assume it's not as good as everyone says it is.  When someone begins to tell me about "this really awesome song I heard on K-Love" I automatically begin to roll my eyes in my head. I apologize to anyone reading this that has ever told me they liked something, you are probably coming to the realization that I did not believe you, but keep reading.  Some how I have gotten into a life cycle of believing that anything that is remotely popular is probably not that good.  Case and point, I have been ragging on the New Owl City CD for a long time now.  I'll let you in on a little secret, I had never actually listened to that CD the whole time I ragged on it.  Low and behold  I gave it a listen today, and call me Captain Tom Kasey if it's not really daggone catchy!

    My point in writing this is not to convince you that I am a cynic or to convince you that Owl City is catchy, my point is this.  Jesus does not like cynics.  I know this because Jesus' fundamental attitude toward everyone and everything he came in contact with was hopeful, and the chief opponent to hope is cynicism.

  I am beginning to realize that I am apart of a ever increasing generation of cynics.  I won't debate you on whether or not that cynicism is warranted, I don't really think that is the point.  The point is cynicism is an ungodly attitude when it dominates our lives.  The saddest part of it all is I see the a lot cynicism directed toward the Church today (and it's not by non-Christians).  I have written on this before and if you want you can catch up on that just skip back a few entries.

This Sunday I am preaching a sermon called "Do you love the Church?"  We are going to study through Ephesians 5:25-32.  The thought I am impacted the most about from that passage is that Jesus, despite some of the horrible ways the Church throughout history has screwed up, is still  passionately in Love with the Church, so much so that the only imagery Paul can use to describe it is marriage. If anyone has a right to be cynical about the Church I would say it's Jesus.  He died for us, and we still don't get it.

So next time someone tries to convince you that the new season of 24 actually is that good, or the next time your tempted to jump on the beat up Christ's bride bandwagon, take a step back, breath, and balance some of that cynicism with some good old fashioned Hope.