As the author says, not all of his predictions may be correct, and his view of evangelicalism is not authoritative or infallible. Nonetheless, my experience tells me the groundwork for this is beginning to happen.

Here are some passages (with small additions) from the article:

We are on the verge - within 10 years - of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Why?

Among other reasons… we Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. And, despite some very successful developments in the past 25 years, Christian education has not produced a product that can withstand the rising tide of secularism. We will soon see that the good Evangelicals want to do will be viewed as bad by so many, and much of that work will not be done. The money will dry up.

What will happen?

Two of the beneficiaries will be the Roman Catholic and Orthodox communions. Evangelicals have been entering these churches in recent decades and that trend will continue, with more efforts aimed at the “conversion” of Evangelicals to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

A small band will work hard to rescue the movement from its demise through theological renewal. This is an attractive, innovative, and tireless community with outstanding media, publishing, and leadership development. Nonetheless, I believe the coming evangelical collapse will not result in a second reformation, though it may result in benefits for many churches and the beginnings of new churches.

Is all of this a bad thing?

Some Evangelicals will work to create their own countercultures, rather than try to change the culture at large. Some will continue to see conservatism and Christianity through one lens and will engage the culture war much as before - a status quo the media will be all too happy to perpetuate. A significant number, however, may give up political engagement for a discipleship of deeper impact.

Will it shake lose the prosperity Gospel from its parasitical place on the evangelical body of Christ? Evidence from similar periods is not encouraging. American Christians seldom seem to be able to separate their theology from an overall idea of personal affluence and success.

Will the coming collapse get Evangelicals past the pragmatism and shallowness that has brought about the loss of substance and power? Probably not.

Despite all of these challenges, it is impossible not to be hopeful. As one commenter has already said, “Christianity loves a crumbling empire.”

We must change the conversation from the maintenance of traditional churches to developing new and culturally appropriate ones.

We need new evangelicalism that learns from the past and listens more carefully to what God says about being His people in the midst of a powerful, idolatrous culture.

Full Article

1 Peter 5:6-7

Jeremiah 29:11-13

There's a nice summary of them all in this article, "10 perfect foods", on the Women'sDay magazine website.

10 Perfect Foods list

1. Almonds
2. Avocados
3. Broccoli
4. Eggs
5. Kale
6. Quinoa
7. Raspberries
8. Sweet Potatos
9. Teff
10. Yogurt (plain)

And the 5 almost perfect foods

1. Apples
2. Canned tomatoes
3. Oats
4. Beans
5. Dark chocolate

Obviously, the quality of these foods and where they're grown makes a big difference as to how "perfect" they are. Buy local, organic and be more certain that your food is quality.

I'm eating more of these things!

He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,
And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;
And somehow he still feels a need to search,
But life just goes on.

But there's more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there's more than this life alone can be.

Lyrics for "More to this Life" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Guide to responsible consumption video

Then, what we're buying... is it good?

Good Stuff? - A Behind-the-Scenes Guide to the Things We Buy

A pretty large inventory of all kinds of things we buy, and how they stack up.

Have you ever wondered where chocolate comes from, if antibacterial soap is good for your family, or how to recycle an old computer? If you've had these or other questions about the environmental and social impacts of the products you buy and use, Good Stuff is for you. It contains many of the tips, facts, and links you'll need to start making more informed purchases that benefit your health and the environment.

charity: water is a non profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations. We give 100% of the money raised to direct project costs, funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need. We also work to raise awareness of the water crisis through events, fundraising exhibitions and other public awareness campaigns.

Go to the website

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.

Psalm 62:5-6

"You sit here in comfortable chairs. You stand up and sing praises. You're free to worship God whenever you want."

This was the beginning of a noteworthy moment in the middle of an interview of a brave Iranian Christian evangelist. During this moment, the entire interview changed. You could sense it in the marked change in the interpreters voice to a quieter, more sensitive tone. He too could feel the change.

The speaker's eyes began to well up with tears, and his voice narrowed. His humility was forefront. He spoke completely from the heart in a raw, passionate state. The entire crowd began to listen more intently as this moment's energy lifted with every sentence.

"But we--my family--are scared for our lives every day--yet we can't stop living in Him. We are protected by him. All we have is from Jesus. Our lives are completely in his hands. I love you Jesus. I love you Jesus!"

He was lifted out of his chair, pointing upwards as he exclaimed this.

The crowd--all of us--burst into clapping. I felt it too.

These things inspire me. They teach me. They haunt me. I think about how good we have it here. We do worship in complete freedom. We have nothing holding us back. This thought has come to me over the years, and I've always wondered if it will last.

I think we have no idea what Christianity is. We just pretend we do. We go through the motions of it, carrying on traditions of living that have been passed on for generations. We are way too comfortable with the things we have grown to want--worse, the things we can't live without. Things like cars, candy, television, 3 meals a day, computers, furniture, keeping things for ourselves, having one of everything. We don't help people... give to the poor or less fortunate. We don't speak to others about the persecution of Christians throughout the world. We don't read the Bible. We don't pray. We don't care for each other. We don't live passionately.

We forget.

We forget what we're supposed to do. Instead, we choose the complacent route.

I guess I was looking for a little more of something I can't quite put my finger on.

Question

As a reader of the GR Press, I'd like to know a little more about the recommended uses of my newspapers. I mainly want to know if I can use it to start fires in my fireplace at home, without hurting the environment. I'm curious if you can tell me if the ink used in printing the press is toxic or otherwise harmful.

Answers:

From Bob Pierce, Operations Director

The black ink that we use is composed of a petroleum based vehicle with carbon black suspended in it . The color inks are a petroleum/soy oil vehicle consisting of pigments and several other chemical binders. I know of no known toxic characteristics. Among other uses, recycled newsprint is used as a garden mulch, insulation, and animal bedding. Unlike inks used to print on packaging materials and glossy stock, the inks we use are fairly basic formulations. I hope this answers your question.

From Aaron Phipps, Assistant Production Manager

Combustion of paper, as well as fire wood, can produce a group of chemicals called Dioxins which may cause adverse health effects (Dioxins has more to do with combustion rather than what is burned). A search on the internet turned up the following web page with information about Dioxins: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/dioxinqa.html

Using newspaper to start a fire will be less harmfull than the wood that is burned in higher quantities in the fireplace.

The ink is vegitable based, using soy oil and some other oils. There is still some amount of petrolium used but it is not the main ingredient.

The best recommendation is to recycle the paper so it can be reused.

Sadly, Sunday morning is a prime time when most of God's missing children are available and Christians least available.

What would happen if we had a "stay home from church day" where Christians all over the world stayed home and made an intention of reaching out their neighbors. How many of us have good relationships with our neighbors? Good enough to know when they need support in their lives?

Unfortunately, we couldn't attend in lieu of a wonderful time with family from out of town.

Check out the article and photos!

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