I just threw out a stack of magazines so of course I want to blog about one of the articles that’s been floating around in my brain. Here’s a link to “Hot Air Gods” in Harper’s Magazine, December 2007. Basically, author Curtis White wrote about the lack of orthodoxy in American religion. He cites NPR’s This I believe as a perfect example of how we celebrate individual beliefs in the trival (I believe in barbeque) and have pushed religious freedom ad absurdum.

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It’s the annual Adult Entertainment Expo time, people.

The LA Times has a interesting look at one of the outreach ministries to women in the adult services industry in Las Vegas.

Here’s a bit from the article:

After they leave, a reflective Spiegler [a talent agent] offers, “A lot of girls in this industry could use something stabilizing like religion. I don’t mind what they are doing at all.”

The good folks at Get Religion alerted me to this story about old church buildings being converted into condos.

A great quote from the developer:

“I wanted to retain the spiritual integrity of the building,” she said. “I didn’t want people to come in and say, ‘What did it used to be?’ If it looked just like any other building down the block, what would be the point?

“I like to think of it still as a sacred place, with 100 years of sacred practice. You don’t disregard that.”

Should a church become a condo?  Be torn down?  Be renovated at tremendous cost?

For a very short period, Jake and I looked at buying an empty church in Ireland to turn into a home/retreat center.  It was in the middle of nowhere but made me feel like a Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.  Things never worked out and I’m glad we live here in Orange County, but it’s a beautiful place to remember.

I still can’t help but read articles about “new” movements in evangelical Christianity.  This week: Church changes it’s name to be cool.  Goodbye First Baptist. Hello Mosaic.

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