Three more miscellanies at week's end

by Phil Johnson

1. Gilbert Bilezikian, chief engineer of Willow Creek's seeker-sensitive approach to building megachurches, sounds like he's ready to make the jump to the "emerging" bandwagon. (ht: Scott Wagoner via Scot McKnight). Bilezikian's pessimism about "the church in the West" sounds like an echo of pollster George Barna, who recently told Christianity Today that the church is "a step and a half away from extinction."
        If you tried to name the five people who have done more than anyone else to shape theories of ministry and church-growth philosophy over the past 20 years, Barna and Bilezikian would both be near the top of the list. Today's shallow, pragmatic, non-doctrinal, biblical-in-name-only "evangelicalism" and its high-gloss approach to professional showmanship and superficiality is the legacy of ideas these men have foisted on the evangelical movement for two decades or longer. They have helped steer the movement to the precipice of total disaster. So between you and me, I don't think they're in the best position to be giving churches and pastors advice about where we ought to go from here.
        Unfortunately, however, I think this is what's on the horizon for the evangelical movement.
   
2. This morning in my e-mail in-box I had an appeal from someone out there who is urging me to help him start a campaign that he is convinced will solve all the major spiritual crises of our day. He writes, "Spiritual leaders can help create a sense of the sacred by teaching about the benefits of reducing light pollution. Simple 'win-win' steps to reduce light pollution will result in a profound, positive alteration in our relationship to the earth and heavens: Seeing a star-filled night sky will help restore a sense of wonder and awe—and increase spirituality—for us, our children and our children's children."
        I did my part: I forwarded the message to Barna.
   
3. The hit counter on Frank Turk's other blog passed the 100k mark yesterday. I know that, because Darlene was visitor 100,000. No prize for that, other than the always-fascinating and fun-to-read content on the blog itself. Plus, she got the following picture, which is actually clipped from a photo she took with a digital camera, because she did not know how to do a screen capture.

PS: I'm doing some maintenance work on the blogroll today, deleting blogs that have become more or less inactive, and revamping the order where necessary. If time permits, I'll try to add a few entries today, too.     A few of my favorite blogs are now dormant. I hate to delete them from the blogroll, but I'll reserve their place for when they return to posting. Chief among these would be Kevin Bauder's blog, "Let's Be Serious." I'm encouraged by the fact that the blogtemplate is still active, but I have removed the entry until the blog becomes active again, which I hope happens soon.     And in a less serious but still vital category, I really miss the enigmatic Deathrow Bodine. His place of honor awaits him in our blogroll if he ever resurfaces.

---