Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

My friend Quinn Hooks shared this the other day but I’m not sure how many saw it.  Uggh!

[The Boot & Pittsburgh Post Gazette}

Although Reba McEntire fears that fellow Christians might criticize her for it, the singer says she believe she’s been reincarnated. 

“I believe I’ve gone both ways — that I have been here before as a man,” the 53-year-old (in this life, anyway) tells the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I believe I have spent time with my son Shelby before. I believe I have spent time with other people in my life before. Who knows? Maybe I’m part Buddhist.” 

As for reconciling her Christian faith with her belief in reincarnation, McEntire says, “I’m sorry, but this is how I live my life, this is what I believe.”

“My talent is a gift from God,” McEntire explains. “I need to use it. If I don’t, I wouldn’t blame Him one bit if he took it away and gave it to someone else. I am very blessed, and never lose sight of that. When I die, I want to leave something behind. I want my kids to say, ‘Gee, Mom really did some good on this earth.’ 

Read more here and here.

[From me]

Reba is free to believe what she wants.  But belief in reincarnation goes against the teachings of the Bible. A true follower of Jesus knows that is appointed for a person to die just once and then face the judgment. Where do these stars get such whacked out beliefs?

What do you think?

[TBO]

Back in the day, looking for talent to book for Universal Orlando’s Rock the Universe was easy for Jim Timon.

“It used to be just a small pond of people,” said Timon, senior vice president of entertainment.

Now it has turned into a virtual Great Lake. Christian rock is hot, hot, hot. More solo artists and groups are proclaiming their faith in edgy, hip music that rivals their secular counterparts in every way. It comes in all styles: hip-hop, punk, hard rock, ska, alternative, pop, soft and contemporary.

The challenge Timon faces these days is picking the best of the bunch. And he’s got competition: Rock the Universe, scheduled for Friday and Sept. 6, goes head-to-head with Walt Disney World’s Night of Joy on the same two days.

Why two mega Christian rock festivals on the same days, just down the street from each other?

“It’s something to do with how youth pastors schedule their weekends,” Timon said. “It’s a friendly competition. We may have the edge on keeping it purely rock, and we bring in speakers as well.”

Read more here.

[From me]

Why in the world would you have 2 Christian festivals on the same days in the same city?  Seems to me if they did them separate weekends it would benefit both parks.  

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

The evangelical Christian parents of U.S. chart topper Katy Perry have lashed out against the lyrics of their daughter’s No. 1 hit single “I Kissed A Girl.”

Her parents are outraged by the song’s provocative lyrics, which include “I kissed a girl and I liked it.”

Perry’s mother, Mary Hudson, says she is disappointed at the career path her daughter has decided to go down.

“I hate the song,” she said, according to the Daily Record. “It clearly promotes homosexuality and its message is shameful and disgusting. Katy knows how I feel. We are a very outspoken family.”

“I can’t even listen to that song,” the mother added. “The first time I heard it I was in total shock. When it comes on the radio I bow my head and pray.”

The 23-year-old former gospel singer’s track continues to soar to the top of music charts around the world.

“Katy is our daughter and we love her but we strongly disagree with how she is conducting herself at the moment,” Mary Hudson said.

“We cannot cut her out of our lives as she is our child - but she knows we disagree strongly with what she is doing and the message she is promoting regarding homosexuality which the Bible clearly states is a sin.

“But the Bible also promotes understanding and forgiveness, which I keep reminding myself.”

Perry, who has adopted her mother’s maiden name for the stage, used to sing for God in church and even released her own Christian pop album as Katy Hudson in 2001, which included the track “Faith Won’t Fail.” The record made it on to Christian Music Today’s best albums list that year.

But she was spotted by a music producer who invited her to LA, according to her mother, and “that’s when she started to change,” Mary Hudson said.

Read more here.

[From me]

I kept hearing our students talking about this song.  I had no idea she used to sing CCM. I feel for her parents. They are showing love and forgiveness. Fame is intoxicating.  

What would you do if that was your child or a member of your church? 

[Telegraph]

His band Run DMC, the first gangsta rap act to make the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, enjoyed two decades of success with songs like Walk this Way until disbanding in 2002 after the gangland execution of its DJ, Jam-Master Jay.

All of which makes Simmons an unlikely candidate to be America’s latest parenting guru. Now though, at the age of 43, he is an ordained minister and has reinvented himself as the star of a reality television show in which his eminently functional family serves as a role model for black America.

Last week, the self-styled “Rev Run” was publishing his first book, dispensing wisdom on how to make parenting “cool” again and urging young black fathers to play with their children.

[World Net Daily]

The prospect that America’s most-watched television program would feature a popular Christian worship song to close its fundraising special last night generated a buzz on the Internet, but some now are crying foul after the lyrics were altered to eliminate the word “Jesus.”

In the grand finale of “American Idol Gives Back,” eight “Idol” finalists performed “Shout to the Lord,” the song by Darlene Zschech of Australia’s Hillsong Church that has been sung in thousands of congregations around the world.

Zschech’s lyrics open with “My Jesus, My Savior, Lord there is none like You, All of my days, I want to praise, The wonders of Your mighty love.”

Instead of “My Jesus,” however, viewers last night heard the “American Idol” stars begin the song with “My shepherd,”

Molly Heinz, who handles publicity for “American Idol” with the Fox television network, has not responded to WND’s request for comment. However, the next night’s show, the regular weekly “results” show, featured the same song, and this time “Jesus” was not edited.

Read about it here.

[From me]

People need to get a life!  1st, they only had so much time to sing.  2nd, people hear the song, they like it and they buy the original and hear how good Hillsong is.  Then they hear the Gospel.  3rd, they sang the whole version last night. I know several Integrity Music people from my time living in Mobile.  They are great people and they are all about ministry.  Get a life people!

What do you think?