Once in a while I hear about a book that piques my interests in a special way. The latest book to do that is one by author Christine Wicker, who spent seventeen years at the Dallas Morning News as a feature writer, columnist and religion writer.
This book is well-written, insightful, probing, and well-documented. The early part of the book deals with numbers. And to anyone familiar with the Evangelical movement, this is not surprising. Because Evangelicals have long considered the “gospel-end-game” to be easily quantifiable, they have long been very interested in keeping score. And yet, according to Ms. Wicker, these numbers are not all what they’re cracked up to be – quite literally. A strong argument is made for how these numbers tend to be grossly inflated- largely because they come from the churches and denominations themselves. And anyone who’s been involved in the somewhat competitive Evangelical game of “conversion-scoring” knows that the numbers always tend to be distorted in one direction: upward.
In reality, according to the research done by Wicker, the true story of the state of Evangelical church in America is a troubling one – at least for the people who believe in the cause. According to Wicker, not only have the exisiting numbers been greatly inflated, but furthermore, growth rates suggest that the Evangelical movement is not growing, not even holding steady- but actually shrinking. And shrinking fast.
Wicker opens her book thusly:
"Evangelical Christianity in America is dying. The great evangelical movements of today are not a vanguard. They are a remnant, unraveling at every edge. Look at it any way you like: Conversions. Baptisms. Membership. Retention. Participation. Giving. Attendance. Religious literacy. Effect on the culture. All are down and dropping. It’s no secret. Even as evangelical forces trumpet their purported political and social victories, insiders are anguishing about their greater losses, fearing what the future holds. Nobody knows what to do about it. A lot of people can’t believe it. No wonder. The idea that evangelicals are taking over America is one of the greatest publicity scams in history, a perfect coup accomplished by savvy politicos and religious leaders, who understand media weaknesses and exploit them brilliantly."
Wow! Thems fightin’ words! Except that the author, Wicker, has no specific axe to grind here. She is no enemy of the evangelical movement. In fact, to some degree, just as with myself, she is a product of it. And that’s important. Because one almost needs to be an “insider” in order to get at the real meaning of things, to translate the language and the actions of a sub-culture so as to make it palatable for the masses.
This is an important book, addressing a very significant issue. So much so that I plan on interacting with Ms. Wicker’s findings, insights, and open questions with a series of posts. That’s right, there’s just too much good stuff to get at here in one 1500 word book review, even less so in one “current” post. If your interest is tweaked, consider picking up the book. If you have a vested interest in the subject matter of this religio-cultural-politcal issue, you’ll want to read this for yourself, first hand in Ms. Wicker’s book. Influential leaders from across the American religious spectrum are lining up to give it props:
"Like Dorothy exposing the Wizard of Oz", writes Diana Butler Bass, "Christine Wicker pulls back the curtain on conservative evangelicalism and finds the movement’s greatness and power much more modest than its reputation. With careful analysis, Wicker reveals the spiritual downturn in the Religious Right, how it has lost its hold over contemporary America…"
Interstingly, as Bass here notes, even more than documenting a decline, what Wicker is saying is that the Religious Right/Evangelical influence has always been overstated, always a game of sometimes intential, sometimes unintentional, smoke and mirrors.
Marcus Borg says of the book,
"Combining the style of a journalist with the analytical perspective of a religiously-sympathetic sociologist, Wicker makes a surprising, important, and persuasive case."
To read the rest of this review of "The Fall of the Evangelical Nation", by Darren King of Precipice Magazine, follow this link.
I found an interesting definition of “evangelical” from George Barna, the Christian pollster. It is quite interesting and I think eliminates many who might have once called themselves “evangelical”.
1. They believe they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus as their savior.
2. They have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important to them.
3. Their commitment to Jesus is very important in their life today.
4. They have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians.
5.They believe that Satan exists.
6. They believe that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works.
7. They believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.
8. They believe the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches.
9. They believe that God is an all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.
I just finished “The Fall of the Evangelical Nation” by Christine Wicker, from which these criteria of Barna come. The book is well worth reading. It is very surprising what the state of evangelicals in America actually is, compared to what we are frequently told it is. All the statistics which Wicker uses in her book come from evangelical sources and are not “outside” sources. I think an interesting discussion is waiting to unfold about these nine criteria.
I read this article on Neale Donald Walsch’s blog and had to share it with you.
"We in the U.S. are about to decide who is ‘in charge’ here, by electing our next president in just a few weeks. But who is ‘in charge’ here on the whole earth? Is it God?
That is the question I have asked in this space in the aftermath of two calamities in one 7-day period: Hurricane Ike and the financial crisis on Wall Street.
Is all of this God’s Will?
I believe not. Not in the classic sense that people understand the use of that term "God’s Will." In the larger sense of the term, it IS God’s Will…because God’s Will is our will — that is, the will of humanity, expressed collectively and individually through all of our thoughts, words, and actions.
I believe that there is no separation between Divinity and Humanity; that God and we are One. I believe that we are all Divine, and that some of us do not know it, do not experience it, do not believe it, do not accept it.
So how does that make it ‘true’ that we humans ‘created’ Hurricane Ike, and all its devastation, and the deaths it caused? How does that make it ‘true’ that we humans created the economic crisis now hitting Wall Street?
I believe it is like this: Certainly no one could claim that we are doing all this to ourselves deliberately. So we can eliminate from this discussion any idea that this is a conscious creation. It must, therefore, be an unconscious creation. It is something we are doing without knowing we are doing it, without being aware of the consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions.
To make the case regarding Ike, I believe — and weather experts are now telling us — that the ever-increasing savagry and power of our earth’s tropical storms is the direct result of global warming, which, the experts tell us, has raised the temperature of the more shallow waters on the earth (such as along the Gulf Coast of the U.S.), which, in turn, increases the whirl of storm winds moving over these areas, turning them into hurricanes of incredible, and increasingly greater, force.
Climatologists tell us that we can expect stronger and stronger, more violent tropical storms on the earth from now on because of this thermal effect.
This is one outcome — and only one — of global warming. And who created global warming? I believe that we did. Unconsciously, to be sure. Unwittingly, for certain. Innocently, absolutely. But in any event most certainly.
Now half the human race is in denial of this point — which is exactly how we created the situation to begin with. It is like tobacco smokers who deny, deny, deny that their smoking has any damaging effect on their bodies whatsoever — and then come down with lung cancer. I have known such people who, even as they are dying of the cancer, sit in their bedrooms smoking.
In my mind there is no question that our human activities upon the earth have created the global warming crisis. In our arrogance we declare that we’ve had nothing to do with it. We haven’t even contributed to it. We have had nothing to do with it at all.
This is the statement of many human beings today. We cannot and will not take responsibility for our own actions and choices. And that is too bad. That is remarkably sad………………………………………………………
Similarly, it is greed, and nothing less, that has produced the crisis on Wall Street. Says USAToday in the lead story of today’s edition written by reporter John Waggoner: "In staggering succession, some of Wall Street’s biggest and oldest firms have been seized, failed outright, or merged into other companies." The paper then quotes Steve Romick, manager of FPA Crescent Fund, as saying, "It’s the worst news out of Wall Street since I’ve been alive."
The choice to do whatever to took to optimize profits is what led to this collapse — and that choice is the free-will manifestation of human beings.
Yet if God does not ‘want’ hurricanes to fly or financial institutions to collapse, and people’s lives to be disrupted and destroyed in the process, why does God allow it? If God is the creator of our reality, why is God creating it like this?
The New Spirituality says that we are creating our own reality. It says that we and God are One, and that, as an aspect of Divinity, we have the power and the ability to produce and manifest outcomes in the physical world — and are doing so every day.
We do this, we are told, with our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. We are able to do this because we are gods. We are Individuations, or aspects, of the Divine. Our word is Law. Our word is God’s Word.
I understand that to some, this very thought is blasphemy. Fair enough. We each have the freedom to believe what we choose to believe. And I don’t mean to offend anyone here by stating what I believe. Yet if what I believe is mistaken, if our word is not God’s Word, but God is separate from us and has the final word on everything, then my original question stands: Why is God doing this to us? Or, if God is not doing this to us, why is God standing by, doing nothing, allowing us to do this to ourselves?
What IS God’s role in our lives?
I believe that God’s role is, has been, and always will be to empower us to create our own reality. I believe that God has given us the ability to do this both individually and collectively………………………"
The unexpected is waiting for you. And it contains great good.
Our next insight, our next opening, our next opportunity often comes when we least expect it. Never think for a moment that "the game is over." It is not.
Just when all the chips are down, the chins should be up.
So…chin up. This round may not have gone well, but I promise you, this is not the last word.
ANOTHER UPDATE: 9/17 My wife lost her job today. It was a result of the poor economy (read- slump in the housing industry), and the final straw being IKE. She will be moving home soon and looking for new employment. I know our Source has a job, a place for her and I thank our Source for that.
ANOTHER UPDATE: 9/14 My son has been able to move in with a friend in Katy, Texas who has power and no damage. Katy is about 40 miles from our house. It is in the west Houston area which wasn’t in the direct path of IKE. My wife will be here in the DFW area for a few more days. Michael, "Redlefty", survived and is now with his parents in Kansas. Keep the people in the Houston & Galveston area who were not so fortunate in your thoughts and prayers of thanks.
UPDATE: 9/13 My Son Jeff has made it thru and the home was relatively undamaged. We lost one large tree which did not hit the house. He lost power about 2:00 AM, and had wind gusts of approx. 100MPH, with steady winds at approx. 70MPH. He received, so far, about 6-7 inches of rain. He has gotten out and walked the neighborhood. There seems to be moderate damage in the area. The most amazing thing was that we never lost contact with him. We were able to talk by cellphone all night long! Have not heard from "Redlefty". I’m sure he lost power quite early in the morning. Needless to say my wife and I are very tired. I will update again later. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers…
Please keep all of us here in Texas in your thoughts, intentions, and prayers of thanks as this very large hurricane takes aim on the upper Texas coast. Fellow blogger and pastor at LRC Houston, Ernie Fitzpatrick, Michael "Redlefty" at Megaloi, and my own son Jeff are in the direct path of Ike in the Houston area. My wife made her way home to DFW yesterday. I know for sure that Michael and my son are "sheltering in place" and will certainly experience 75-100 MPH winds and torrential rains, 10"-15". The residents of Galveston, Texas are expected to experience a 20′-25’storm surge. This is especially distressing as Galveston is less than 10′ above sea level. Even up here in the DFW area, which is 250 miles from Houston, we are expecting 2"-5" of rain and up to 45 MPH winds.
Excerpt from The Isaiah Effect: Decoding the Lost Science of Prayer and Prophecy*
by Gregg Braden Copyright 2000
"Only now, nearly two millennia after the Great Isaiah Scroll was written, are we able to authenticate its reference to a lost science with the ability to . . . end suffering and bring a lasting peace to our world."
Could there be a lost science that allows us to transcend the visions of war, disease and the greatest tragedies ever to face humankind? Is it possible that somewhere in the mists of our ancient memory an event occurred that has left a gap in our understanding of how we relate to our world and one another? Twenty-five-hundred-year-old texts, as well as modern science, suggest that the answer to these and similar questions is a resounding "yes!"
Additionally, in the languages of their times, those who have come before us remind us of two empowering technologies with direct relevance to our lives today. The first is the science of prophecy, that allows us to witness future consequences of choices that we make in the present. The second is the sophisticated technology of prayer, that allows us to choose which future prophecy we live.
The secrets to our lost sciences appear to have been shared openly by societies and traditions of our past. The last vestiges of this empowering wisdom were lost to western traditions with the disappearance of rare texts referencing them in the fourth century. Through the eyes of modern science recent translations of texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi Library and Gnostic manuscripts discovered in Egypt have shed new light and opened the doors to possibilities hinted at in ancient folklore and fairy tales.
Only now, nearly two millennia after they were written, are we able to authenticate the power of a force that lives within us, a very real power with the ability to end suffering and bring a lasting peace to our world. The visions of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, for example, were recorded over five hundred years before the time of Christ. The only manuscript discovered intact among the Dead Sea Scrolls, in 1946, the entire Isaiah scroll is unrolled and mounted upon a vertical cylinder displayed in Israel at the Shrine of the Book Museum in Jerusalem. Considered to be irreplaceable, the exhibit is designed to retract into a vault covered by steel doors to preserve the scroll for future generations in the event of nuclear attack.
"The prophecies follow a clear pattern: descriptions of catastrophe are immediately followed by a vision of life, joy, and possibility."
The age, completeness, and written nature of the Isaiah Scroll provides a unique opportunity to consider it as representative of many prophecies regarding our time in history. Beyond the specifics of precise events, a generalized view of ancient predictions reveals threads of a common theme. In each glimpse into our future, the prophecies follow a clear pattern: descriptions of catastrophe are immediately followed by a vision of life, joy, and possibility.
In the oldest known manuscript of its kind, Isaiah begins his vision of possible futures by detailing a time of global destruction occurring on an unparalleled scale. Clearly catastrophic in scope, Isaiah describes this ominous moment as a time when "the earth is utterly laid waste, utterly stripped." Ironically, his glimpse into a time yet to come closely mirrors the descriptions of many other prophecies from varied and distinct traditions, including those of the Native North American Hopi, Navajo, and the Maya of Mexico and Guatemala.
In the verses that follow Isaiah’s description of devastation, however, his vision shifts dramatically to a theme of peace and healing. He writes that, "Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools and the thirsty ground, springs of water." Additionally, Isaiah suggests that "On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see."
For nearly twenty-five centuries, scholars have largely interpreted such visions as a description of events expected to occur in precisely the order as they are described in Isaiah’s scroll: first, the tribulation of destruction; then a time of peace and healing. Is it possible that these visions from another time were saying something else? Could the insights of the prophets represent the skills of adept masters slipping between the worlds of possible futures and recording their experiences for future generations? If so, the details of their journeys may offer powerful clues to a time still to come.
"By changing our course of action in the moment, sometimes in a very small way, we may redirect an entire outcome in our future."
Echoing the beliefs of twentieth century physicists, ancient prophets viewed time and the course of our history as a path that may be traveled in three directions; vertically, as well as reverse and forward. Seers of our past recognized that their visions merely portrayed possibilities for a given moment in time, rather than events that would occur with certainty. Each possibility was based upon the conditions at the time of prophecy. As conditions changed, the outcome of each prophecy would reflect the change. The same line of reasoning reminds us that by changing our course of action in the moment, sometimes in a very small way, we may redirect an entire outcome in our future. This principle applies to individual circumstances such as health and relationship as well as the general well being of the world around us.
The science of prophecy could allow a visionary, in our example of war, for instance, to project their sight into a future time and alert the people of his or her day to the consequences of their actions. Many prophecies, in fact, are accompanied by emphatic pleas for change in an effort to avoid what the prophets have seen. Modern scientists give careful consideration to such possibilities, creating names for the events themselves, as well as the places where the worlds are connected. Through the language of time waves, quantum outcomes, and choice points, prophecies such as those of Isaiah take on powerful new meanings. Rather than being forecasts of events expected one day in our future, they are snapshots into the consequences of choices made in the present.
Such descriptions often bring to mind the image of a great cosmic simulator, allowing us to witness the long-term effects of our actions. Surprisingly similar to quantum principles suggesting that time is a collection of malleable and diverse outcomes, Isaiah goes one step further, reminding us that the possibilities of our future are actually determined by the collective choices in the present. By sharing a common choice many individuals amplify the effect and accelerate the outcome.
Some of the clearest examples of this quantum principle are found in mass prayers of miracles: sudden jumps from one future outcome into the experience of another. In the early 1980’s, the effects of a specific technique of prayer, focused in a specific manner, were documented through controlled experiments in urban areas of crime. Through such studies, the localized effect of prayer has been well documented in the open literature.
Do the same principles apply over larger areas, perhaps on a global scale? On Friday November 13, 1998, a mass prayer was implemented, on a worldwide basis, as a choice of peace during a time of escalating political tension in many parts of the world. Of specific interest that day was the expiration of a timeline given to the country of Iraq to comply with United Nations’ demands for weapons inspections. Following months of unsuccessful negotiations for access into sensitive sites, the nations of the West had made it clear that Iraq’s failure to comply would result in a massive and extended bombing campaign designed to damage suspected weapons sites. Such a maneuver would certainly result in the loss of life, civilian as well as military.
"Confirming a tenet discovered in centuries-old texts, the evidence simply states that the choice of many people, focused in a specific manner, has a direct and measurable effect on our quality of life."
Linked through the miracle of a global community accessing the World Wide Web, several hundred thousand people chose peace as a specific mode of mass prayer, carefully synchronized to precise moments that evening. During the time of the prayer an event occurred that many consider to be a miracle. History books will show that thirty minutes into the aerial attack [on Baghdad], the president of the United States issued a rare order to "stand down," the military term to abort the mission. Having received a letter from Iraqi officials stating that they would now cooperate with the requested weapons inspections, the reason for the attack no longer existed.
The chances of such an event happening by coincidence in the same time-window as the global prayer are small. Confirming a tenet discovered in centuries-old texts, the evidence simply states that the choice of many people, focused in a specific manner, has a direct and measurable effect on our quality of life. Appearing outwardly unexplained, quantum principles allow for such change as the inner force of collective, or group choice. Perhaps encrypted in ancient traditions until the thinking of our day could recognize it, the lost science of prayer offers a course of action now to avoid experiencing predictions of sickness, destruction, war, and death for our future.
Our individual choices merge into our collective response to the present, with implications that range from a matter of days to many generations into our future. Now we have the language to bring this powerful message of hope and possibility into each moment of our lives.
*The following quotes were taken directly from The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, published by Windblown Media.
"I’m not who you think I am, Mackenzie, I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It is not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it." (spoken by the character of God)
Here, in my opinion, is the first UR statement made in the book. How do you see it?
"Such a powerful ability, the imagination! That power alone makes you so like us."
Sounds to me so much like Neville Goddard. What do you see for all of us in that statement?
(Jesus speaking) "My life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to ‘be like Jesus’, it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life , my life.We will come and live our life inside of you……but we will never force that union on you. If you want to do your thing, have at it. Time is on our side."
This quote is extremely full and complex. What do you find within it?
*The following quote was taken directly from The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, published by Windblown Media.
"You’re talking about Jesus, right? Is this going to be a let’s-try-to-understand-the-Trinity sort of thing?"
Unfortunately, this quote pretty much requires that you have read the book. (Go right ahead, don’t let me stop you.) The characters of Papa, Jesus and Sarayu are carried throughout the rest of the book. How well, in your opinion, did the author improve upon the current explanation of the Trinity? Did you come away with a better understanding of this very difficult topic. If so, can you share. If not, share as well.
Stumble it!
