Emerging, Emergent, Evangelical, Orthodox....

Which are you? It seems like there are so many categories, labels, titles, etc. today in America's "Churchianity" that it has become hard to distinguish all the lingo. One blogger has attempted to clarify some of this confusion in the "emerging church" with some pretty neat graphics and a great post. (If you don't recognize any of the names below...don't worry... you are probably better off...but many of you Emerging fans might find this real cool.)



From this chart, where do you fit in? Where does your church or ministry fit in?




What do you think? Do you agree with the grouping? What about Rob Bell, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, Ed Young Jr. and others in the Megachurch camp? Where do they fit in this diagram? What about Joel Osteen? What about influential black pastors like T.D. Jakes, Tony Evans, and Bishop Eddie Long? Anyone else you'd like to see added?

Obama's Call to Renewal

“(Obama's speech on faith) may be the most important pronouncement by a Democrat on faith and politics since John F. Kennedy's Houston speech in 1960 declaring his independence from the Vatican...Obama offers the first faith testimony I have heard from any politician that speaks honestly about the uncertainties of belief.”

— E.J. Dionne, Op-Ed., Washington Post, June 30, 2006

While we are on the topic of Christian politics I thought I would share some quick thoughts from a speech that Senator Barack Obama made back in June of 2006. I was ignorant of this speech until a couple weeks ago when I stumbled across it on Obama's campaign website. I was drawn into reading the speech because of the above mentioned quote that caught my attention. I think many times "Evangelicals" in America believe that all Democrats are liberal atheists with no faith at all, or at best, practice an unauthentic faith that is only put on to reel in Evangelical votes. I think overlooking an entire party when deciding who to vote for based upon religious stereotypes (whether it be the "liberal heathens" or the "hell-fire, fundamentalist conservatives") is the biggest mistake a voter can make.

This blog entry isn't intended to be an endorsement of Obama, but rather a discussion starter continuing on the topic of faith and politics. With that being said, I would like to share some quotes from Obama's speech on faith and politics. I hope you'll join the conversation and comment with your thoughts and whether or not you agree or disagree with anything mentioned. And if you are a Christian, does everything Obama say in this speech line up with sound Biblical Theology?

_______

"Indeed, the single biggest "gap" in party affiliation among white Americans today is not between men and women, or those who reside in so-called Red States and those who reside in Blue, but between those who attend church regularly and those who don't."


"This religious tendency is not simply the result of successful marketing by skilled preachers or the draw of popular mega-churches. In fact, it speaks to a hunger that's deeper than that - a hunger that goes beyond any particular issue or cause."

"And in time, I came to realize that something was missing as well -- that without a vessel for my beliefs, without a commitment to a particular community of faith, at some level I would always remain apart, and alone."

"Because of its past, the black church understands in an intimate way the Biblical call to feed the hungry and cloth the naked and challenge powers and principalities. And in its historical struggles for freedom and the rights of man, I was able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world. As a source of hope."

"You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away - because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey."


"After all, the problems of poverty and racism, the uninsured and the unemployed, are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten point plan. They are rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness - in the imperfections of man. Solving these problems will require changes in government policy, but it will also require changes in hearts and a change in minds."

"In fact, because I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics, and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they're something they're not."

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."

"Even those who claim the Bible's inerrancy make distinctions between Scriptural edicts, sensing that some passages - the Ten Commandments, say, or a belief in Christ's divinity - are central to Christian faith, while others are more culturally specific and may be modified to accommodate modern life. The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage nevertheless are opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban it. Religious leadership need not accept such wisdom in counseling their flocks, but they should recognize this wisdom in their politics."

________



Any thoughts?


Read Obama's 'Call to Renewal'

Beliefnet Article with Video Clips

Christian Politics: An Ethical Standard of Human Life (pro-life)

“Christian politics” as I stare at that phrase up on my computer screen while trying to catch glimpses of the debates on TV I get the feeling that the idea is an oxymoron. Nevertheless I have decided to do a blog on the subject.

Before I get started, I do want to preface this by saying these are opinions. I will do my best not to lean toward either party or any particular candidate. I do have candidates that I like more than others, but my goal is not to persuade anyone toward anyone. My goal is to discuss values that I believe biblically all Christians should hold. Please read my views carefully and test them for your selves; and by the way, argue against them or for them if you feel the need.

Well, if I’m doing this thing and we all know how good I am at making people mad, I might as well just take on the entire moral majority at once. Christians should believe in an ethical standard of human life. This idea is neither new nor controversial. The right to “life” is even outlined in our Declaration of Independence. Even so, some how, some where, the idea of morality in politics got narrowed down to abortion and gay marriage. I suppose I’ll begin with the easy stuff.

Christians should be Pro-life. This holds true absolutely on the abortion issue. I do not believe that Christians should attack anyone who’s ever had an abortion. That is not the role that Christ called us to, but I do believe we should try and dissuade women from having them. There are too many righteous options and too many couples trying to adopt because they cannot have children. These views lead me to the belief that politicians and leaders should do more to make these options more attractive. This blog is a Pro-life blog though, not an anti-abortion.

Christians should be Pro-life. That means that Christians should be anti-Capitol punishment. There are many very solid very compelling arguments for Capitol punishment. This is an area of disagreement among Christians, even those who oppose abortion. However I do not believe that capitol punishment lines up with ideas like “Vengeance is mine says the Lord” (Romans 12:19-21) or “You without sin throw the first stone” (Luke 8:7). Capitol punishment is also a way of doubting the power of Jesus to restore and redeem, after all, is there any without sin? If I remember right it was a persecutor of Christ who ended up writing the majority of the new testament.

Christians should be Pro-life. That means that Christians should hold all human life to be sacred and treated as such. Psalms tells us that God creates individual life (139:13-14). Everything made by God should be valued as such. Christians also should hold that all life is eternal. (That’s not to say everyone will spend it together) Here’s where it gets messy. If all human life is sacred then so are the lives of murders, unborn children, people living in poverty, people dying of disease, people fighting wars, people whom wars are being fought around, dirt bags, mugs, thugs, riff raff, ruffians, hooligans, and even….Methodists! (Sorry for the Blazing Saddles reference) What I should have included on that list is people who are terrorists. Christians should not be ok with torture in any form, any way, or from any source. Churches are built on the blood of martyrs and Christianity spreads because of perseverance in the face of persecution, not by the sword. It is better for Christians to die for their belief in the love, mercy and abundant grace of Christ as well as our faith in eternal life, than it is to betray that for the sake of mortal life. (Matt 16:24-27)

I will get more into the idea of holding human life sacred on issues of poverty and disease and war later. For now, read what I’ve written, test it and let me know what you think.

Rob Bell: Hippier-Than-Thou Pastor

Creative title huh? Well I can't take credit for it...Time Magazine released an article by the same title that is all about the culturally-savvy, megachurch pastor, Rob Bell. There is much discussion these days on the blogosphere concerning Rob Bell--1/3 love him, 1/3 hate him, and 1/3 can't decide what to think. I had the joy of hearing Rob speak at a conference several years ago and I will have to say that he is one of the best communicators I have ever heard. The message he delivered that day is one of the best sermons I have ever heard on many different levels. He hopped around the stage like a rapper with the mic, who was laying down a hot track, yet in the same manner he was able to passionately explain the Gospel message. If any one person fits all of the Evangelical "buzz words," (Emergent, Creative, Relevant, Emerging, Missional) that person would be Rob Bell. Some have claimed him as the heir to Billy Graham, while others have claimed him as a heretic. Love him or hate him, call him a hippy, a heretic, a genius, a geek, or a saint, Rob Bell is here to stay and is having a huge influence on the Church in America.


Check out the Time Magazine article: The Hippier-Than-Thou Pastor

Has anyone ever heard Rob Bell in person, read his books, listened to a podcast, or watched a NOOMA video? If so any, any discussion on the topic?

The Golden Compass: What's the Deal?

I will have to say that it was not until recently that I became aware of The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman or the His Dark Materials trilogy. But after reading several articles online and several interviews with Pullman it is very clear that his agenda in these books is to destroy the Christian church and to debunk the idea of God. Just think of this trilogy as the polar opposite of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. In fact Pullman described Lewis's work as "one of the most ugly and poisonous things I ever read."



So what's the deal? Should we protest, picket, hoot and holler, and raise a ruckus at the movie theater when The Golden Compass releases? Well, No....I don't think so...but I do believe that we should be informed. You should "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."(1Peter 3.15) It is quite possible that within the next week at work, school, church or the grocery store that this movie will come up in conversation as well as the subversive themes it portrays. And if that is the case then we need not be ignorant, rather we should be informed and ready to talk about the issues that come up. I can see the biggest challenge coming from uninformed parents and family members who take their kids to see the movie...the kids love the movie and then for Christmas the parents buy them the entire trilogy all the while not realizing that the books are about killing God, the idea of the Christian church and original sin.

So, if you are a parent I hope that you especially will do some research and become informed on Pullman and the trilogy from which this movie is based upon. I also hope that you will do some thoughtful consideration when deciding if your child should be allowed to watch this movie and even more so when it comes to reading the books. On another note, the movie should actually be good and for that reason I am excited about watching it....not to mention it has the new James Bond actor as a character and he was awesome!


"Atheists express their rage against God although in their view He does not exist." --C. S. Lewis

"A great many of those who 'debunk' traditional...values have in the background values of their own which they believe to be immune from the debunking process." C.S. Lewis--The Abolition of Man


The Golden Compass--A Briefing for Concerned Christians -- Albert Mohler

'The Golden Compass'--Does Not Point to True North -- Ben Witherington III

Is 'Golden Compass' selling atheism to kids? -- CNN Article

Religion Row Hits Pullman Epic -- UK Observer

"The Golden Compass" Sparks Protest -- The Catholic League

More Church Programming = More Spiritual Growth?

Here's the question: Does the spiritual maturity of a believer correlate to their level of church activity?

Some would certainly agree with that statement and come to the conclusion that those who are most active in church are the one's who are most mature in their faith...you know the the kind of people who tithe, serve, and show love for others like Christ has done unto us.

Well, Willow Creek Church, the nation's 2nd largest church, has been doing some research to see if their church model, which is highly programmatic, has been successful in producing growing disciples. If you don't know about Bill Hybels and Willow Creek he was basically the Rick Warren before there was Rick Warren. His influence on Evangelical Christianity in America has been huge and the philosophy and methods implemented at Willow Creek have shaped the way America does church in many tangible ways. I'll spare you the history lesson and get to the point: Willow Creek's research (called Reveal) concluded that what they thought was working actually wasn't.

They found that there is no significant correlation between the level of church activity and the level of spiritual growth. So basically...just because a person goes to church every time the doors are open, it doesn't mean that they are growing spiritually. Hmmm...well what about if they are involved in small groups, and go through discipleship classes, and go on trips with the youth? Still no significant correlation. So what did the research find?

Speaking at a Leadership Conference, Bill Hybels said:

"Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for."

Another author from Leadership Journal blog wrote:

"In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage."


I encourage you to read more on this because it has some huge implications on church methodology and your own spiritual growth. Growing up in a Baptist church where programming was highly emphasized, I believe this research could have the potential to reshape the way church is done everywhere.

Check the research out yourself and leave your comments on how you think this could change the way we should "do church":

REVEAL Key Findings

Out of Ur Blog on Research

Willow: Teach People to Feed Themselves

(click to enlarge)

Joel Osteen on 60 Minutes

60 minutes has just aired a TV special on America’s most popular pastor. With a church membership of approximately 47000, Lakewood Church in Houston Texas is the largest church in America. Osteen's services are broadcasted all over the world with millions tuning in every week. And oh yeah by the way, he can bench press 300 lbs and cry on demand.

I thought the reporter did a good job, I don’t think he was buying all the stuff Osteen was yapping about. It seems like the reporter understood Christianity well enough to figure out the problem with Osteen. He kept pointing out the similarities between Osteen’s teaching and the teaching of Dr. Phil or Oprah. He also could spot the dangers in telling everyone that they will be rich and happy.

I was also glad 60 minutes brought on somebody like Michael Horton; it is very rare shows like this bring on someone of his caliber. Too bad he only got like 30 seconds of show time with 20 seconds showing him walking up stairs. But I think what they showed of Dr. Horton was good, I am surprised that they showed what they did. He was able to squeeze out a few phrases such as cotton candy gospel, fortune cookie, easy listening, and heresy. Dr. Horton is a professor at Westminster Seminary, he is also the editor of Modern Reformation magazine, and part of the White Horse Inn radio talk show.

None of this changes the fact that he is still deceiving millions with his distorted Gospel, and making millions if I might add. I am starting to think that he knows exactly what he is doing. He knows there is lots of money to be made from new age self help as well as Christianity, so why not combine them. When you need to talk about self help topics draw from your new age sources, and when you talk about something that can be supported from the Bible, use that.

The Internetmonk has a good article on the 60 minutes piece as well, so take a look at it if you can.

Extreme Makeover: A Year Following every law the Bible

Here is an interesting article about a guy who spent one year trying to follow every rule in the Bible.

Is Yoga OK for Christians?

I recently ran across a video from CNN where they asked if yoga is ok for Christians. They brought on John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, and Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomon's Porch and member of Emergent village to debate this.

Just a little side note: If you are ever asked to come on CNN to debate an issue and you find out John MacArthur is on the other end, don't go, you will lose! I am a big fan of John MacArthur and I have watched him time and time again defend the biblical Gospel on live TV and it is always the same result. He constantly and relentlessly makes a stand for biblical truth. After seeing many Christian leaders sink back and flounder, MacArthur never misses a chance to present the Gospel with clarity and conviction.

You can't deny that yoga is becoming extremely popular in America as well as the Church. So what is its place in the lives of Christians? Is it off limits? Use it for exercise only? I took a few classes in college on eastern spirituality and we talked about yoga and the different types in depth. It is hard to separate yoga from its history and background, which are bottom line anti-Christian, so I urge to be careful when it comes to things like this.

I also urge you to be extremely cautious when it comes to the emergent movement and some of its authors and leaders. Some of these people are associated with the emergent movement, some are loosely associated, and some you just need to be on your toes :). Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Spencer Burke, Rob Bell (no he didn't), Don Miller (that's two strikes now), Tony Campolo, etc. I am not telling you don't read books by them, because some of them have good things to say, but I do want to say be careful and exercise a little discernment when it comes to books, instead of reading the latest and coolest books out there and believing they are true simply because they come under a Christian heading.

New Shane and Shane CD!

I am excited to announce that finally, after about 3 years, the new Shane and Shane CD is out.

If you haven’t ever heard anything by them, I suggest you go and buy every CD they have made, you won’t be disappointed. They are just flat out on a whole different level than all of the “stuff” going on in Christian music. A lot of their music comes directly from the Psalms and other scriptures and is saturated with the Gospel. I am a person who loves the Gospel, I love to learn about it and sing about it, and in a Christian subculture surrounded by “prom songs to Jesus” which are devoid of substance and hardly mention sin, grace, Jesus, or atonement, Shane and Shane are definitely refreshing to hear.

I was able to go to their concert in Charlotte about a week ago and I was blown away. There wasn’t anything special about the concert, no big show with lights and all of that, just the music. When most artists are writing man-centered songs that hardly mention anything Christian, Shane and Shane were surprisingly God-centered. It was refreshing to see musicians and their music consumed and passionate about the Gospel and unashamed to share it. So, I highly recommend checking them out.

Gospel Riches

I ran across this article the other day from Christianity Today.

The article is about the growth of the "Prosperity Gospel", "Health and Wealth Gospel", "Name it Claim it" or however you want to say it gospel that is spreading rapidly all over Africa. The worst part is that this so called gospel was exported from America to Africa and other countries, once we figured out how to package, market, and sell it.

Also, here is a video excerpt from John Piper talking about the prosperity gospel.

There are many examples of modern attempts to redefine the gospel that bother me, but the “Prosperity gospel” has always been one that gets under my skin. Other attempts, though equally dangerous, usually come from well meaning people that are driven by distorted social agendas, worldviews, etc., instead of being driven by a desire to glorify God and be faithful to the Scriptures.

But the Prosperity gospel is somewhat different. These teachers, preaches, guru’s, prophets or what not, are driven by making lots of money through promising things that even God did not promise us, and exploiting the poor and weak in spirit. The gospel is distorted and used to manipulate people into giving money. I mean who wouldn’t want Jesus if he is going to give us money, health, cars, and other worldly things.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

British Girl Sues for Right to Wear a Purity Ring

I ran across this article over on the New York Times about a British girl who was punished in school for wearing a "purity ring" because it violated school dress codes. The student claims that the ring is an expression of her Christian faith and that she is being discriminated against. Since when can you not wear rings to school? Anyways, if you are familiar with "True Love Waits" or in her case the organization is called "Silver Ring Thing" then you get the basic gist of why she was wearing the ring. But is that really an expression of her faith? Is the government suppressing her Christian beliefs? The article raises some interesting questions...so if you have a minute check it out:

British Girl Sues for Right to Wear Chastity Ring: New York Times

Religion as Ice Cream

Some more sad news from the Episcopal Church. It seems now that Christianity can be mixed with other religions to find the flavor of ice cream that you like. What else would make a good flavor? Christianity and Daoism? Hey, if it works for you why not? Maybe the more toppings the better. Riddleblog article. Stand to Reason article.

Excuse my sarcasm, but I do not have the mental capacity to understand this type of thinking, and it saddens me to see the Gospel of the Living God substituted for an idol. It saddens me to see people confessing to be Christians when they do not treasure Jesus. It's not saying a prayer or reciting a few doctrines that saves a person, Jesus must be your treasure, like the parable in Matthew 13, the kingdom of God is like a man finding a treasure hidden in a field and then he sells everything to buy that field so he can have the treasure. From this article, it would be the equivalent of selling everything to buy the field but then setting up an altar and worshiping Allah, at best it’s an insult to God, at worst it treats lightly the blood of Jesus, trampling it underfoot (Heb 10), and strips from the only person worthy of worship, the glory and honor that is due Him. That might be a little dramatic, but it makes me angry, and I think it makes God angry as well.

This also applies to everyone, myself included. Jesus must be treasured, and not as a means to some other treasure such as money, power, social reasons, or heaven (that could make you think). To confess to be a Christian, yet treasure the gifts rather than the giver of all things, is a contradiction in terms. Is Jesus your treasure? Or have you replaced Jesus with worldly treasures? Eternal life is not something you bargain with, you don’t get to go to heaven in exchange for one Sunday a week, you can’t say to God, “I’ll let you forgive me of my sins if you let me still treasure this over you.” Galatians 6 says, do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for what you sow you also will reap. You can’t have it both ways.

I think as Christians we always have to examine ourselves and our lives to see if our actions line up with what we treasure. If you have replaced Jesus as your treasure with something else, repent, ask for forgiveness, and begin to treasure and praise Him who has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

A Transgender Pastor, Obesity, and the Shrink

What a title huh? But they are actually shout-outs to some very good blogs out in the blog world today...all of which are very heavy topics and worthwhile reads.


A Transgender Pastor
Things seem to be getting crazier and crazier these days. A Maryland United Methodist Church pastor has just been reinstated after having a sex change operation. Pastor Ann Gordon is now the new...Pastor Drew Phoenix. I'm sorry but this seems a little ridiculous and even sad to me. Anyways, here are a few blogs and articles about this story. Definitely read Al Mohler's blog.

A Transgender Pastor in the Pulpit? - Al Mohler's blog
Transgender Minister Gets Church's Blessing - Maryland newspaper
Transgender minister is reappointed - Baltimore news article
Identity Crisis: A Transgender Minister Reappointed to Lead Church - Christian Report article

Obesity
Perry Noble had a great post today that I'm sure will tick off a lot of fat pastors if the read it, but it is a very insightful post about the problem of obesity and treats it as a sin on the same level as alcohol abuse or smoking. Heres a great quote:

"They [pastors] would never have a beer with a church member–but they don’t mind hitting the buffet. They will YELL at a church member about smoking while all the while pounding cheeseburger after cheeseburger. It’s hypocrisy in its worse form."

Read the post: I Was Fat, Now I'm Not-Part 1


The Shrink
Steven Furtick wrote a great blog today on why he's visits a professional counselor on a regular basis. He recommends that every pastor should consider seeing a counselor regularly. I know I'm a little crazy so it makes me want to take a visit to the Shrink myself...not to mention Tony Soprano visits one all the time and he's a Mob Boss.

Why I See a Counselor - Steven Furtick

Virtual Church

I ran across some cool technology stuff today that I had not seen before...LifeChurch, known for its amazing use of technology and online church campus has recently gained some attention from MSNBC with its online virtual 3D world campus on Second Life. Second Life (a newbie to me) is a 3D virtual world with millions of users who wander around and...yeah I don't know much about it but the best I understand it...it is similar to a RPG game like EverQuest, but it's not a game. Anyways it seems cool...people attend their "virtual" church on Sunday's and are participating in the services with their "virtual identity," even if they never step foot into a church building. I'm not sure how effective this type of ministry is, but as long as the gospel is being proclaimed in a Christ-centered way, it can't be bad...right?

Want to know more? Why don't you just check out the article on MSNBC or the video segment on the story. Leave your opinion in the comments.


LifeChurch speaks on the virtual evangelism issue: "Why Second Life?"

Why Hate Should Not Be a Crime

For those of you interested in where hate crime legislation is heading in this country, here are a few links to check out.

H.R. 1592

USA Today

Stand to Reason

AFD

Christian News wire

GovTrack

World Net Daily

Men of whom the world was not Worthy

35Others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.(Hebrews 11:35-40)

Here are some links about three Christians martyred in Turkey. I will go ahead and warn you that there are some graphic descriptions.

http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=701

http://www.persecution.com/news/index.cfm?action=fullstory&newsID=511

Christians and Gun Control

After the Va. Tech shooting there has been a storm of moral and ethical issues being brought up concerning the terrible tragedy. It didn't take long before the heated debate began about gun control. I ran across a terrifically written blog from a Christian Scholar perspective. I don't agree with the entire post but nonetheless I would encourage you to read it, and if you wish, comment here on the topic.

Christians and Gun Control--Dr. Ben Witherington III

The Lost Tomb?

If you haven't already heard...The Discovery Channel aired a TV special last night called "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," a documentary made by Jewish film maker Simcha Jacobovici and Titanic director James Cameron.

The Facts:
In 1980 a tomb was discovered in Talpiot inside of modern Jerusalem that contained 10 ossuaries or bone boxes. Six ossuaries had names carved on them with the following names:

1. Jesus Son of Joseph
2. Mary-written in Aramaic
3. Mary-written in Greek as Mariamne
4. Jose- a 'rare' nickname for Joseph
5. Matthew
6. Judah son of Jesus

The filmmakers claim that this tomb is the resting place of Jesus of Nazareth and contained Jesus' remains, his DNA, the remains of his wife Mary Magdalene and his son Judah.

Theological Implications:
To be honest here...if these findings proved to be true then we might as well drop the faith and start over because Christianity as we know it would be over. The whole measure of Christianity hinges on the belief that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected from the dead. If his remains are in a tomb somewhere then he was not the Messiah and was not raised from the dead.


Thoughts and more reading:
I find this type of research and archeology very interesting and feel that as Christians we should engage ourself into the academic and archaeological studies on the person of Jesus. I believe that as more research and studies are completed, more evidence will actually point to the truth of Jesus Christ and not lead us away from it. That is the case with this film if we look at all of the facts and not just the skewed bias of a Jewish filmmaker with a personal agenda (but what filmmaker doesn't have a bias or personal agenda). The documentary is very well made and well worth watching. Much like the Da Vinci Code, it makes for great entertainment but is historically wrong, with as much evidence in opposition to the claim as there is presented in the film. Below I'll list a few links to sources I've found that seem to have credible info on the topic.

Links:
Discovery Channel Site on Tomb

The Lost Tomb Documentary Official Site

Extreme Theology Article (Critique of Documentary)

Podcast Rebuttal to Documentary

PowerPoint Presentation to Accompany Podcast



What are you thoughts on the documentary? Feel free to share.

What happens when you mix the 7 deadly sins?

Well heck I don't know...but this lady (who, by the way, has a very cool blog with tons of this index card humor) came up with a neat graphic on an index card explaining this. Check it out below.