(de) Motivational Business Posters

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Mar 5, 2005 in Culture | 2 comments

Have you ever worked in an office where they hung those canned motivational/inspirational posters? Integrity. Teamwork. Dedication. This guy took them to the next level coming up with a couple great spoof ones like Recklessness, Stubbornness, Insanity & Bullshit. Check them out here >

Ok, Kevin Cawley pointed out a much better site for these things. They’ve really made dozens of them. Flattery is hilarious. (Failure, Futility, Underachievement, the list is endless.)

It reminds me, I always wanted to come out with a Not So Precious Moments spoof on Precious Moments.

The Public Role of Religion in Secular Context

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Mar 3, 2005 in Culture | 2 comments

Jurgen Habermas is a renowned philosopher. You will find courses on his thoughts and theories in the philosophy departments of U.S. and European universities. While Habermas, 75, still writes and teaches, his work has acquired a life of its own. There’s an entire cottage industry of philosophers who seek to defend or contradict the Habermasian worldview. Over 1,400 people registered for professor Habermas’ presentation at this week’s Kyoto Laureate Symposium in San Diego.

Looking at some of these answers about ‘religious thought brought into the secular world‘ it makes me laugh how the foundation of religion is borrowed to prop up the secular need for meaning/purpose. For example in one answer he asserts:

The modern idea of human dignity, which is claimed equally for all and everybody, is inspired by this image of all human beings created “in the likeness of God.” A similar connection exists (for example) between the individuating force of a life history, for which each person is responsible, and the expectation of the Last Judgment. In our culture the loaded meaning of an “individual,” that is of a unique and irreplaceable person, has Biblical origins. Why should this rich semantic potential not continue to inform our secular culture in the future, too?

Of course! What would our society look like with morality as given by God? By the value of life created in the image of God compared to people being evolved see slime? These are just the tip of the iceberg. Anyway you can read an excerpt of some of his other answers:

QUESTION: The title of your speech, “The Public Role of Religion in Secular Context,” might puzzle some Americans. As Robert Bellah notes, the Religious Right’s strong political role in recent elections has many echoes in American history. Religious figures, for instance, were in the forefront of the abolitionist movement and the struggles for civil rights. Is this a dangerous tradition?

Counterculture Hypocrisy

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Mar 2, 2005 in Culture | 1 comment

“Do you hate consumer culture? Angry about all that packaging, all those commercials? Worried about the quality of the “mental environment”? Well, join the club. Anticonsumerism has become one of the most important cultural forces in millennial North American life, across every social class and demographic. Sure, as a society we may be spending record amounts of money on luxury goods, vacations, designer clothing and household comforts. But take a look at the nonfiction bestseller lists. For years they’ve been populated by books that are deeply critical of consumerism: No Logo, Culture Jam, Luxury Fever, Fast Food Nation. You can now buy Adbusters at your neighborhood music or clothing store. Two of the most popular and critically acclaimed films in the past decade were Fight Club and American Beauty, which offered almost identical indictments of modern consumer society.

LifePoint Christian Community

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Mar 2, 2005 in Church Technology, Sheep&Goats | 2 comments

“The seven deadliest words in churches are, ‘It’s the way we’ve always done it’,” Pastor Ken Hensley remarked. Hensley recently returned to San Diego where he once served five years as pastor of Allied Gardens Church of Christ. Allied Gardens has since merged, becoming Zion View Church. Last year, the church decided to sell the building and fund two separate churches. Hensley returned to start one of these new churches.

Saturday, Hensley laid out a vision of this new church, LifePoint Christian Community. Fifteen people gathered in his home. Many in the room responded to online ads that targeted artists and musicians.

Full Article >

Local Ministry Involvement

Posted by D. Goodmanson on Mar 1, 2005 in Church | 2 comments

Our church serves the homeless, helps do chores for the elderly and has an international ministry to assist people in India and Tanzania. We continue to look for ways to serve. Last Sunday, I went to Donovan Maximum Security prison. One of our congregation volunteers at Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. I was pretty blown away by the response of these gang-members, murderers, and the like who moved into the Kingdom of God. It was powerful to see men in tears as they made a life change. More on Kairos:

Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc. is the parent organization of a body of ministries addressing the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women and children, to their families and to those who work in the prison environment. The mission of the Kairos Prison Ministry is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen.

As we consider ways to serve beyond handing out food/supplies we are looking into Care House Life Ministries. One person is signing up to mentor homeless teens. About:

“We are a Christian organization dedicated to serving homeless teens, teens in crisis and young moms in crisis pregnancies throughout San Diego county. We meet the kids where they are, love them unconditionally, provide for their needs as best we can, and tell them about Jesus. We do this through a network of churches, faithful supporters, and people like you. Why? Because that’s what Jesus would do… how about you?”

Please pray for us as we continue examine ways we can serve God’s Kingdom through local & international ministry opportunities.