Ecky Thump: Christianity Becomes More Irrelevant

So I caught a bit of a Headline News segment last night called “To the Point” featuring Doug Pagitt and John MacArthur. They were asked to debate whether yoga was diametrically opposed to Christianity or not.

I said aloud “Ecky Thump!” (Ever since receiving the latest White Stripes CD by the same title, spelled “Icky Thump” I’ve become fond of the phrase.) Loosely translated from northern England, it means “What the heck?”

Has Christianity really become so irrelevant that all the main stream media can consult us on is yoga? Well, that does nothing to make me feel we are being missional. I can see it now …

“Hello, Pastor Niece?”

“Please, just call me Brian.”

“Well, um what is your stance on the yoga debate?;

“Excuse me?”

“I’m with the local paper and wondering where you and your congregation stand on yoga.”

“Well, some yoga poses do require you to stand … those are the easier ones. I used to do yoga three times a week when I was in the theatre. Is that what you mean?”

“I guess we’re wondering if you think it’s Christian or not.”

Good grief! Our Lord must shake his head in shame and disappointment when Christendom leaders like John MacArthur say that to relieve pressure and stress we should read the Bible rather than push our bodies through physical practices like yoga. Has he ever tried to read Job when stressed? Give me a break.

Apparently, we still suffer from the neo-Platonic divide of mind and body. This is a notion Jesus and the first disciples never expressed. The body was the body … and the mind was just a part of the body. The gospel of Jesus was for the whole person … the whole body.

If it didn’t make the Church look so ridiculous, I would laugh at the whole thing. But in reality, it’s heartbreaking to see that we have so distorted the message of Jesus, and been so unable to live the gospel, that now we are consulted on such silly things.

SO TELL ME SOMETHING:
What have you noticed lately that is an “Ecky Thump” moment?

——

Brian Niece
www.brianniece.com
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Category: Christianity, Progressive, Rants, The Church One comment »

One Response to “Ecky Thump: Christianity Becomes More Irrelevant”

  1. Monte
    October 26th, 2007 at 4:58 pm

    Don’t be discouraged about the Media questons. That’s all the MSM ask anybody about. Hillary’s neckline. Barack’s middle name. Britney’s underwear.

    Now MacArthur’s response, that’s a little discouraging. But bellicosity has always been his thing.

    In preaching thru Luke lately, I am blown away by how little Jesus opposes, and how much he overlooks. The pace quickens, tho, as he nears Jerusalem, and encounters more elite religious people, who are busy making sure people don’t get away with things.

    I’m not sure which side MacArthur would be on.

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