Bookstore life
so yea, the past week I have been covering for my buddy Hans, who owns the local christian bookstore. This is like the only christian bookstore between Daytona and Altamonte which is prolly 40 miles I guess.
It has been fun, I get to influence people in what to read..or at least try too. I am amazed at the number of bibles that get purchased. I reckon that to be a good thing. Have had some good conversations with people dealing with real issues, like the lady who just left that has a 10 year old daughter that's struggling with life. Didn't sell her anything but did encourage her a bit I think. I like that.
so I'm in it...Christian retail...wow, how bizarre. I'm like selling almost everything that is wrong in christianity today. Did you know they have scripture toilet paper? Yep toilet paper with scripture verses written on it. Now I'm not against reading the bible while on the john...just kind of weird to like, well, you know...Sometimes I expect Jesus to come rushin in, whip in hand, tossing the bumper-sticker rack.
I'm not throwin down on my buddy, he struggles with it waaayyy more than I do. He does lots of ministry here though and like I said you can gently encourage people in what to read and listen too.
The most bizarre conversation to date was a guy who was looking for a book to read so I recommended "The Shack". He said he has heard of it but hasn't read it because he doesn't agree with the theology. So I said "That's pretty close-minded don't ya think?" No I really didn't say that cuz I imagine he's just following what someone told him he should believe. Poor guy is probably afraid his eyes might fall out of his skull if he reads the wrong thing. Better safe than sorry I guess. So I just smiled and took his money for some books on the "approved reading" list.
It's raining outside and about time to close up for the night.
It has been fun, I get to influence people in what to read..or at least try too. I am amazed at the number of bibles that get purchased. I reckon that to be a good thing. Have had some good conversations with people dealing with real issues, like the lady who just left that has a 10 year old daughter that's struggling with life. Didn't sell her anything but did encourage her a bit I think. I like that.
so I'm in it...Christian retail...wow, how bizarre. I'm like selling almost everything that is wrong in christianity today. Did you know they have scripture toilet paper? Yep toilet paper with scripture verses written on it. Now I'm not against reading the bible while on the john...just kind of weird to like, well, you know...Sometimes I expect Jesus to come rushin in, whip in hand, tossing the bumper-sticker rack.
I'm not throwin down on my buddy, he struggles with it waaayyy more than I do. He does lots of ministry here though and like I said you can gently encourage people in what to read and listen too.
The most bizarre conversation to date was a guy who was looking for a book to read so I recommended "The Shack". He said he has heard of it but hasn't read it because he doesn't agree with the theology. So I said "That's pretty close-minded don't ya think?" No I really didn't say that cuz I imagine he's just following what someone told him he should believe. Poor guy is probably afraid his eyes might fall out of his skull if he reads the wrong thing. Better safe than sorry I guess. So I just smiled and took his money for some books on the "approved reading" list.
It's raining outside and about time to close up for the night.
posted by Mike Rea at 4:04 PM
2 Comments:
Mike,
A. I think scripture toilet paper is hilarious. I might even buy it, that is if it cost the same as the good old regular stuff... but I don't imagine it is.
B. I've read about half-way through "The Shack" ... and I'd have to say there IS some questionable theology in there.
Just one to open the top and maybe we can go back and forth a bit on it.
How about when God tells the guy that he doesn't punish anyone, but that sin is it's own punishment? I understand that sin DOES consume, and God DOES cure... but God still punishes.
is this a "eat the meat, but throw out the bones" for you?
-sam
Hey yea, lets move past the toilet humor and jump right in to it. To clarify a bit, I don’t have a problem with someone disagreeing with the theology of a book just the fact they can disagree without really knowing what was said or knowing the author.
For all that are looking over our shoulder at this conversation this is my response and not the author’s. I don’t claim to know his thoughts. That said, let me respond to your question on sin and God’s punishment. This is something that I have wrestled thru quite a bit and it is impossible to totally unpack in a few blog entries.
Check out 2 Cor 5:18-21
"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, NOT COUNTING THEIR TRESPASSES AGAINST THEM, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."(I could give an image of what I think this looks like possibly at another time)
So which trespasses(sins) is He not counting against us? Just our past ones that we have asked for forgiveness or our future as well? Obviously our future too. For Jesus died once for all. If that be true what is there to punish?
And 1John 2:2 reads “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Do you hear that? Not only our sins but the sins of the world. Propitiation deals with taking the wrath of God. The definition according to Webster is “In theology, the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath and render him propitious to sinners. Christ is the propitiation for the sins of men.”
Again in Romans 3:23-25 we read “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
Also check out Romans 6-8. As well as all the stuff about the New Covenant. This is the good news...the gospel.
It’s not that God chose to overlook our sins but rather took care of sin totally and completely on the cross. “It is finished” as Jesus said. I see the cross as a finished work.
Seeing sin this way then it is easy for me to say that sin is it’s own worst punishment. The cross while reconciling us with God does not take away the consequences of sin. If I kill someone I may be forgiven but the person is still dead.
When Katrina devastated New Orleans a few years back it saddened me to hear people say that was God’s punishment for all the sin that goes on down there. Wow, that sure does devalue the cross and paint a bad image of our Father.
Well this is kind of long so I will give it a rest for now and I imagine I am provoking more questions than I am answering which is ok.
Peace to you Sam!
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