Posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
SO annoying: kid preachers
Prepubescent pastors aren't cute. And no, I'm not talking about Joel Osteen. I'm talking about the young sons (oddly, never the daughters) of pastors who pretend to be just like daddy at delivering the "word."
The little guys "quote scripture," slam their fists against pulpits, and carry hankies. But they don't always wipe themselves thoroughly after a number two.
Just like their daddies.
elias claps!
This would have been a little longer if Elias hadn't stopped the camera. :)
He loves buttons.
I sound like an idiot in this. But Elias is cute. He "claps" for you.
Happy Monday!
Friday, April 24, 2009
who is that 'dove favorite'?
UPDATE: Shortly after I posted my "Stupid Dove Awards" entry, I received this picture in a press release. The release came from the gentleman's publicist and it's headline was this:
"Miss California Meets Dove Favorite."
Does anybody recognize the Dove favorite? I know who it is. But do you?
The first person to answer correctly will win a prize!
and the winners are...
chosen at random...
The following five people need to email me their mailing addresses ASAP so I can have the folks at David C. Cook send you a copy of "The Furious Longing of God." You are going to love it! My email is MatthewPaulTurner@gmail.com.
1) Ryan Guard
2) Shane Bartley
3) Kacie
4) Terroni
5) David Peck
EVERYBODY ELSE? Order your copy here:
THANK you to everyone who participated. Another giveaway will happen soon! The next title is "Divine Commodity."
The following five people need to email me their mailing addresses ASAP so I can have the folks at David C. Cook send you a copy of "The Furious Longing of God." You are going to love it! My email is MatthewPaulTurner@gmail.com.
1) Ryan Guard
2) Shane Bartley
3) Kacie
4) Terroni
5) David Peck
EVERYBODY ELSE? Order your copy here:
THANK you to everyone who participated. Another giveaway will happen soon! The next title is "Divine Commodity."
Thursday, April 23, 2009
stupid dove awards
Ugh. I know that some of you are going to disagree with me. And that's fine. I'll probably get called names and such, but somebody has to say this:
SHAME ON THE GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION!
Why?
Because the not-for-profit association invited Miss California to participate in tonight's Dove awards ceremony in Nashville.
What were they thinking? Seriously? Did they not put any thought into what this statement says about Gospel music, about Christianity, about Jesus?
Now, I realize that the gay marriage issue is divisive and everybody has very strong opinions on the matter. And that's fine. But that's not what this post is about.
My post and frustration is about the Dove Awards. Why in the world would an awards show called the "Dove"--a symbol of peace, hope, prosperity, and unity--Awards invite Miss California to the party?
Because they need the publicity. It's no secret that the awards are dying. Everybody has been talking about Gospel Music week being a ghost town. The numbers are down like 50/60 percent. It's sad.
But is controversy the answer? Maybe if you're Perez Hilton or maybe if you're another organization/media/non-profit that doesn't stand for the "Gospel".
Well, I think it's going to backfire on them... And quite honestly, I hope it does.
You should have remained out of the controversy and not jumped on the bandwagon, GMA! I think the reporter who I ran into last night was right when he said... "Matthew, I'm pretty much here covering the death of GMA."
Sad. So sad.
SHAME ON THE GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION!
Why?
Because the not-for-profit association invited Miss California to participate in tonight's Dove awards ceremony in Nashville.
What were they thinking? Seriously? Did they not put any thought into what this statement says about Gospel music, about Christianity, about Jesus?
Now, I realize that the gay marriage issue is divisive and everybody has very strong opinions on the matter. And that's fine. But that's not what this post is about.
My post and frustration is about the Dove Awards. Why in the world would an awards show called the "Dove"--a symbol of peace, hope, prosperity, and unity--Awards invite Miss California to the party?
Because they need the publicity. It's no secret that the awards are dying. Everybody has been talking about Gospel Music week being a ghost town. The numbers are down like 50/60 percent. It's sad.
But is controversy the answer? Maybe if you're Perez Hilton or maybe if you're another organization/media/non-profit that doesn't stand for the "Gospel".
Well, I think it's going to backfire on them... And quite honestly, I hope it does.
You should have remained out of the controversy and not jumped on the bandwagon, GMA! I think the reporter who I ran into last night was right when he said... "Matthew, I'm pretty much here covering the death of GMA."
Sad. So sad.
the furious longing of god
Brennan Manning's new book The Furious Longing of God hit stores in March. I have loved Brennan's writings since I was in college. He's one of the few writers from 90s Christian culture who always seemed to capture the humanness of being a follower of Jesus. That's something I can relate to. And too, the way he paints the picture of God's love for us is beautiful, passionate, and often difficult to fathom. But I want to fathom God's love like that--with passion and fury.
Well, I'm giving away 5 copies of Brennan's new book.
Here's the publisher's description: Imagine a stormy day at sea, your ship yielding to a relentless wind, pummeled by crashing waves, subject to the awesome force of nature. A force that is both fierce and majestic. A power that is nothing short of furious.
Such is God's intense, consuming love for His children. It's a love that knows no limits, and no boundaries. A love that will go to any lengths, and take any risks, to pursue us.
Renowned author and ragamuffin Brennan Manning presents a love story for the brokenhearted. For those who are burdened by heavy religion. For those who feel they can never measure up. It is a provocative and poignant look at the radical, no-holds-barred love of our Heavenly Father. It is a message that will forever change how you view God.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN 1 OF 5 COPIES OF "THE FURIOUS LONGING OF GOD," LEAVE A COMMENT!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
ohio
Origins Church, April 19, 2009 from Origins Church on Vimeo.
I had a fantastic weekend in Ohio. The folks at Origins Church in Cincinnati video taped my talk. You might have heard me read the stories before, but if you fast forward to minute 25 in the video, you can hear an interview that Scotty, the pastor did with me about fear, fundamentalism, spiritual abuse, and healing.
Hope you enjoy.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
got sin?
www.SoulWOW.com
Need to confess your sin?
Right now, thousands of priests are kneeling by in Queens.
New York City's priests must be lonely.
Monday, April 13, 2009
live in nashville? win a pair of tickets to see 'jesus people'
My friend directed this independent film (a comedy) about a Christian rock band. It's called Jesus People.
The Nashville preview of Jesus People happens on April 21 at 7:30 @ the Belcourt Theater
my church's easter light show!
First of all, I celebrated Easter alone.
That's because my wife took Elias to see her family in Wisconsin. And look what I missed.
Gosh, I love this kid: he's such a light for me. I'm very thankful that God put him in my life.
Speaking of Easter and "light," yesterday's worship service at Cross Point Church was extraordinary.
To be honest, I was a little nervous about going.
That's because a few days earlier, Pete (he's the pastor) had warned me about that morning's scheduled "light show." Laughing, he said, "MPT, you are going to LOVE the light show."
He was being sarcastic.
Now, for those of you who don't know, his little attempt at "humor" was in reference to something that I wrote about in my book Churched--the part where I described my church's light show as being one big "joygasm." It's funny. Since then, my opinion of Cross Point's "lights" has become a bit of an inside joke among the church staff. But quite honestly, Cross Point's weekly "Technicolor Light-Spectacular" has been tamed down in recent months, seemingly taking on a "less is more" quality that for the most part works quite nicely.
But that wasn't the case yesterday.
It was Easter Sunday--you know, God's BIG wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am GRAND finale, and well, Cross Point's light show was, uh...
BIG. No, it was BIG!!!
While watching the service's opening number--OK, it was a scripture reading, but this scripture reading was "produced," which made it worthy of being called a "number"--I sort of felt like I was in Vegas. I kept looking around to see if Bette Midler or perhaps Barry Manilow or even a few showgirls were going to drop out of the ceiling wearing glow-in-the-dark angel wings.
Or maybe Jesus all aglow in sequin--you know, like a southern gospel singer.
Two minutes into the church's opener, the guy sitting next to me leaned over and said, "This is SOOOO Nashville! I LOVE IT."
I smiled.
He and I had just met a few moments before. He was a firsttime visitor at Cross Point, and has, for a long time, been looking for a church home. (More about him in a bit.)
But you know what? I must say: the production worked! Maybe I've become a softy during my time at Cross Point or perhaps my perspective is far too influenced by the fact that I LOVE the people on the church staff as well as the volunteers who work so hard each week putting the service together. It's funny how your opinions shift when you know the hearts of those behind the "production."
Anyway, yes, the production worked. A couple of times, I admit it even made tears form in my eyes. No, actually, I almost wept.
But that's because, at yesterday's service, despite my church's display of Galgotha with a bit more glitz and glamour than I would prefer, the production never overpowered the story. It didn't lose its focus. I mean, good production, even in a church setting, is a fantastic asset as long as the production isn't about the "production" and remains a simple (or not-so simple) manner in which to tell the story.
And Cross Point nailed it. (No, pun intended, I promise.) The production told the Gospel story. And they even invited the people in attendance to engage the gospel story. It was a powerful and worshipful time.
But next year, Cross Point, see if you can get Bette to attend!
And then came Pete's message, a sermon he called "The Anatomy of Hope."
It was beautiful. Hopeful. Passionate. Creative. Inclusive. My favorite quote that he said went something like this... "During Easter we talk a lot about Friday, the night Jesus died. And then we talk a lot about Sunday's resurrection. But we rarely mention or even consider Saturday. Saturday is the hard day. The 'waiting' day. The day when you feel like giving up. Most of us, in our own lives, are living in the Saturday. But I believe that God does his best work on Saturdays, while we're waiting, praying, and hoping for a Sunday."
I got to church early yesterday morning, and when I sat down in my pew, I was like 1 of 10 people sitting in the auditorium. A few moments later, the firsttime visitor I mentioned earlier sat down next to me. We didn't know each other, but we struck up a conversation because he recognized me. Not because I am an author, but because he'd seen me sitting toward the front at an Augusten Burroughs speech at Vanderbilt just a few days before.
Since we were both early, I had the pleasure of hearing his story. And while it's not my story to share, let me just say this: he'd been beaten up by a lot of Christians and a lot of churches because he didn't fit their mold.
"It's been difficult believing that I have a place in a church," he said. "But I had to come to church on Easter--I had to. So I decided to try here."
A few minutes later he asked, "Do you think somebody like me would feel welcomed here?"
"Yes," I said. "Out of any church I've ever been to, one thing I know about Cross Point is that it loves people. We don't believe that you have to fit into a particular mold to engage the story of God."
It felt so good being able to say that and mean it. Because I believe it's true--anybody, no matter what their backstory is should never feel like they don't belong.
Several times during Pete's message, I noticed the man wipe tears away from his eyes.
As we were leaving, my new friend looked at me and said, "This seems like a very loving church. I'll be coming back."
That's what the resurrection story is all about, an open invitation for people to come and be a part of the greatest story ever told, a story that far too often "The Church" uses to shut people out, a story that, if given the chance, will shine light on the darkness that has settled into so many churches.
And if that doesn't work, God could always use Cross Point's light show. It might work, as long as he doesn't mind the colors pink and torquoise.
(Much gratitude to Pete and the entire Cross Point staff for creating a worship environment that is welcoming and hopeful for people who don't fit the "evangelical" mold. I for one am grateful.)
That's because my wife took Elias to see her family in Wisconsin. And look what I missed.
Gosh, I love this kid: he's such a light for me. I'm very thankful that God put him in my life.
Speaking of Easter and "light," yesterday's worship service at Cross Point Church was extraordinary.
To be honest, I was a little nervous about going.
That's because a few days earlier, Pete (he's the pastor) had warned me about that morning's scheduled "light show." Laughing, he said, "MPT, you are going to LOVE the light show."
He was being sarcastic.
Now, for those of you who don't know, his little attempt at "humor" was in reference to something that I wrote about in my book Churched--the part where I described my church's light show as being one big "joygasm." It's funny. Since then, my opinion of Cross Point's "lights" has become a bit of an inside joke among the church staff. But quite honestly, Cross Point's weekly "Technicolor Light-Spectacular" has been tamed down in recent months, seemingly taking on a "less is more" quality that for the most part works quite nicely.
But that wasn't the case yesterday.
It was Easter Sunday--you know, God's BIG wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am GRAND finale, and well, Cross Point's light show was, uh...
BIG. No, it was BIG!!!
While watching the service's opening number--OK, it was a scripture reading, but this scripture reading was "produced," which made it worthy of being called a "number"--I sort of felt like I was in Vegas. I kept looking around to see if Bette Midler or perhaps Barry Manilow or even a few showgirls were going to drop out of the ceiling wearing glow-in-the-dark angel wings.
Or maybe Jesus all aglow in sequin--you know, like a southern gospel singer.
Two minutes into the church's opener, the guy sitting next to me leaned over and said, "This is SOOOO Nashville! I LOVE IT."
I smiled.
He and I had just met a few moments before. He was a firsttime visitor at Cross Point, and has, for a long time, been looking for a church home. (More about him in a bit.)
But you know what? I must say: the production worked! Maybe I've become a softy during my time at Cross Point or perhaps my perspective is far too influenced by the fact that I LOVE the people on the church staff as well as the volunteers who work so hard each week putting the service together. It's funny how your opinions shift when you know the hearts of those behind the "production."
Anyway, yes, the production worked. A couple of times, I admit it even made tears form in my eyes. No, actually, I almost wept.
But that's because, at yesterday's service, despite my church's display of Galgotha with a bit more glitz and glamour than I would prefer, the production never overpowered the story. It didn't lose its focus. I mean, good production, even in a church setting, is a fantastic asset as long as the production isn't about the "production" and remains a simple (or not-so simple) manner in which to tell the story.
And Cross Point nailed it. (No, pun intended, I promise.) The production told the Gospel story. And they even invited the people in attendance to engage the gospel story. It was a powerful and worshipful time.
But next year, Cross Point, see if you can get Bette to attend!
And then came Pete's message, a sermon he called "The Anatomy of Hope."
It was beautiful. Hopeful. Passionate. Creative. Inclusive. My favorite quote that he said went something like this... "During Easter we talk a lot about Friday, the night Jesus died. And then we talk a lot about Sunday's resurrection. But we rarely mention or even consider Saturday. Saturday is the hard day. The 'waiting' day. The day when you feel like giving up. Most of us, in our own lives, are living in the Saturday. But I believe that God does his best work on Saturdays, while we're waiting, praying, and hoping for a Sunday."
I got to church early yesterday morning, and when I sat down in my pew, I was like 1 of 10 people sitting in the auditorium. A few moments later, the firsttime visitor I mentioned earlier sat down next to me. We didn't know each other, but we struck up a conversation because he recognized me. Not because I am an author, but because he'd seen me sitting toward the front at an Augusten Burroughs speech at Vanderbilt just a few days before.
Since we were both early, I had the pleasure of hearing his story. And while it's not my story to share, let me just say this: he'd been beaten up by a lot of Christians and a lot of churches because he didn't fit their mold.
"It's been difficult believing that I have a place in a church," he said. "But I had to come to church on Easter--I had to. So I decided to try here."
A few minutes later he asked, "Do you think somebody like me would feel welcomed here?"
"Yes," I said. "Out of any church I've ever been to, one thing I know about Cross Point is that it loves people. We don't believe that you have to fit into a particular mold to engage the story of God."
It felt so good being able to say that and mean it. Because I believe it's true--anybody, no matter what their backstory is should never feel like they don't belong.
Several times during Pete's message, I noticed the man wipe tears away from his eyes.
As we were leaving, my new friend looked at me and said, "This seems like a very loving church. I'll be coming back."
That's what the resurrection story is all about, an open invitation for people to come and be a part of the greatest story ever told, a story that far too often "The Church" uses to shut people out, a story that, if given the chance, will shine light on the darkness that has settled into so many churches.
And if that doesn't work, God could always use Cross Point's light show. It might work, as long as he doesn't mind the colors pink and torquoise.
(Much gratitude to Pete and the entire Cross Point staff for creating a worship environment that is welcoming and hopeful for people who don't fit the "evangelical" mold. I for one am grateful.)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
angie and todd
For more than a year now, many of you have followed the story of my friends Angie and Todd and their sweet little girl Audrey Caroline.
It's hard to believe that a year has gone by since that beautiful little red-headed baby came into this world and so quickly left us.
The memory of that day is still painful. So many of the questions we had/have still go unanswered.
That's one of the reasons why I believe in the resurrection story: the one about God bringing hope into the world. Hope for each of us. Hope for every person who walks on this planet. Hope for the living and the dead. And hope for the unanswered questions.
Not answers. Hope.
I must admit though, that sometimes the story of hope is difficult to believe. It's living through experiences like Audrey's that make me doubt it.
But that's faith. For a long time, I didn't think that doubt and uncertainty had any place within a person's pursuit of faith.
I was wrong. Immature. Misguided.
I'm not sure that faith can truly exist without doubt. Doubt is what makes it faith and not science.
Faith was never meant to be perfect or explained away with a sermon series.
So today, one year after losing little Audrey, I resist my temptation to make faith into something that fits on a page or blog or in a book. I refuse to allow one question destroy it. But too, I won't let the fear of asking that question define it either.
Rest in peace, Audrey Caroline Smith. We miss you.
It's hard to believe that a year has gone by since that beautiful little red-headed baby came into this world and so quickly left us.
The memory of that day is still painful. So many of the questions we had/have still go unanswered.
That's one of the reasons why I believe in the resurrection story: the one about God bringing hope into the world. Hope for each of us. Hope for every person who walks on this planet. Hope for the living and the dead. And hope for the unanswered questions.
Not answers. Hope.
I must admit though, that sometimes the story of hope is difficult to believe. It's living through experiences like Audrey's that make me doubt it.
But that's faith. For a long time, I didn't think that doubt and uncertainty had any place within a person's pursuit of faith.
I was wrong. Immature. Misguided.
I'm not sure that faith can truly exist without doubt. Doubt is what makes it faith and not science.
Faith was never meant to be perfect or explained away with a sermon series.
So today, one year after losing little Audrey, I resist my temptation to make faith into something that fits on a page or blog or in a book. I refuse to allow one question destroy it. But too, I won't let the fear of asking that question define it either.
Rest in peace, Audrey Caroline Smith. We miss you.
Monday, April 6, 2009
christian kids draw the darndest things! (these are real)
After researching the site www.ObjectiveMinistries.org, I've decided to delete this post. Please forgive me for misleading you. When I received the pictures, it was my understanding they were real. I should have fact checked that before posting them!
As always, thank you for reading my blog.
As always, thank you for reading my blog.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
some 'good things'--a jill phillips giveaway
Want to win Jill Phillips' new CD The Good Things?
My ole college buddy Jill Phillips released a new record The Good Things.
If you've never heard Jill's music, you're missing out. She's one of those singer/songwriters who communicates life and all of its beautiful and difficult moments with grace and melody.
And then, TO WIN JILL'S NEW CD "The Good Things"...
...leave a comment with the name of the artist and album that's currently making you feel something real.
TO PURCHASE JILL'S RECORD, GO HERE!
You'll love this record. Promise.
My ole college buddy Jill Phillips released a new record The Good Things.
If you've never heard Jill's music, you're missing out. She's one of those singer/songwriters who communicates life and all of its beautiful and difficult moments with grace and melody.
JILL'S BIO
Jill Phillips is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who got her start in the business after graduating from Belmont University in 1998. Her guitar based folk-rock sound combines with rich, insightful lyrics that deal with age-old topics in new and fresh ways. Her self-titled debut album on Word Records was produced by grammy-award winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick (“Change Your World” recorded by Eric Clapton) also known for producing such artists as Amy Grant, Garth Brooks and Susan Ashton.
After touring extensively with Caedmon’s Call and Bebo Norman, Phillips decided to step out and record her next album independently. Produced with Matt Stanfield (Plumb) and Andy Gullahorn, God and Money received critical acclaim and helped Phillips to be named CCM magazine’s reader’s choice for Independent Artist of the Year in 2002.
Phillips' newest release, The Good Things, releases December 2, 2008 and centers around themes of family, relationships and faith. "This record feels very personal to me", she says. "There is a song about marriage, a song for my children, a song about a lack of communication with a friend, things that are huge in my life but things I have never found a way to write about. Maybe it just wasn't the right time, but after the birth of my son in 2007 I felt this new urgency and passion to write about these things. Each opportunity I have to make a record is a gift and I really wanted to give this one my all."
And then, TO WIN JILL'S NEW CD "The Good Things"...
...leave a comment with the name of the artist and album that's currently making you feel something real.
TO PURCHASE JILL'S RECORD, GO HERE! You'll love this record. Promise.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
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