SmuloSpace

Bloggers Block

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:09:45 +0000

I don't need to tell you that I haven't been blogging much these past few months---or maybe that's these past couple years. It's obvious from the dates on my blog posts that show weeks between posts. There was a time when I worked hard to put up a post a day. These days, I care less and less about putting up a post every other week. Or am I lying?

The thing is, I care and I don't care. That may sound contradictory and confused, but its accurate. I enjoy blogging and want to keep connecting with the blogosphere. However, I enjoy my day-to-day existence more and it takes up far more of my time at the moment.

Here's the other thing: I have had a hard time blogging about anything that doesn't involve whining about the church or the state of Christianity. I think this says a lot about where I'm at with both, though I'm grateful to say my love for Jesus hasn't changed as a result of this. Yet, I struggle with being so negative all the time in my blogging.

Here's another thing about a different thing: I keep wanting to blog about marriage and family and parenting and work and friendship. Yet for some weird reason I think I'm scared to do this, and I also don't feel like I know how to blog about these topics. I'm hoping that some time, maybe today, maybe in a month, I'll start giving it a shot.

Anyhow, what's going on with you?

The Meanings Of Easter

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:00:57 +0000

For Many

A time to relax with family and friends
A time to share a meal together
A time to support sellers of chocolate and candy

For Local Churches

A time to spend lots on marketing campaigns promoting Easter Services
Hope for increased numbers of people
A time to talk about the resurrection of Christ

For You?

.......

Becoming A Christian Is Dangerous

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:22:21 +0000

You may come to think you know it all, even if you know very little.
You may come to think of yourself as better than others, even though you're screwed up like everyone else.
You may think you have to correct everyone, even if you don't know how to correct yourself.
You may become so confident that you have learned the 'Truth', that you learn nothing.
You may think you're following the One full of grace and forgiveness, while you're only following your judgmental and selfish nature.

Additions?

Anybody Home?

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:46:25 +0000

Jamie and others have thoughtfully touched base to make sure everything was okay with me since I haven't updated my blog in nearly a century (actually 3 weeks).

Everything is fine. I've just needed to focus on Purple Cow Websites. It seems like its a tough time for most people financially, so I've worked hard to steamline my process by offering an increasing number of designs and less expensive pricing packages. I'm hoping this will make it easier for businesses and non-profits to get a new website. I'm also working on an affiliate program. If you're interested in knowing more about it get in touch with me through the contact form here.

Here's another thing: I'm kind of tired of blogging about Christianity and church and the same old stuff I've talked about here since I began blogging. I'd rather talk about family and parenting and starting a business most days, but I'm not sure I want to discuss these things on the internet. Any thoughts on this?

Anyhow, enough about me, what is new with you?

10 Reasons Not To Put Pastors On Pedestals

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:28:27 +0000

It tempts pastors to have an unrealistic perception of themselves.
It tempts others to have an unrealistic perception of pastors.
People don't relate to those on pedestals.
It causes people to have unrealistic expectations of pastors.
It makes it difficult for pastors and their family to have friendships within the church.
It breeds isolationism for pastors.
It tempts pastors to pretend they're perfect.
It tempts people to project who they'd like to be on pastors.
When pastors fall from a pedestal, they fall alone.
When pastors fall from a pedestal, it appears further and harder.

Over to you:

What is your reaction to the above? Agree or disagree?
What would you add to this list?

Be Like Jesus Two Years On

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:04:36 +0000

Two years ago today I wrote a post called Be Like Jesus. It's been the most well read post I've written, with just over 100,000 hits.

If I could have picked one thing I've written to have been read widely, this would have been it. Thank you to everyone who has read it, put it up on your blog or website, or gave your feedback on it. I'm reposting it here again in case you haven't read it, or would like to again.

Be Like Jesus

1. Get baptized by the craziest guy in town.

2. Say and do things that are guaranteed to make religious people want to kill you. Repeat again, and again, and again, and again, and again and don't stop unless forced.

3. Do amazing things for people and ask them to not tell anyone.

4. Hang out with the most despised, marginalized, looked down upon, and shunned people you can find.

5. When possible, forgive and restore people, even if they betrayed you.

6. Live in a way that provokes gossip.

7. Win the most grace competition.

8. Keep the party going.

9. Serve people (note: nose plugs may be required).

10. If you're sad cry.

11. Empower people to do the extraordinary.

12. Act like a rock star in a ~~hotel~~ temple.

13. Radically simplify theology.

14.Break human-made religious laws. Repeat consistently.

15.Prioritize the most important over the important.

16. Let women with questionable backgrounds pay your bills.

If you would like to copy this and put it anywhere feel free.

Ted Haggard's Confession

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:51:19 +0000

"The reason I kept my personal struggle a secret is because I feared that my friends would reject me and abandon me and kick me out, and that the church would exile me and excommunicate me. And that happened and more."

--Ted Haggard

Twittered Out

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:59:59 +0000

I love social media. Blogging is my first social media love. Though Facebook has always competed for my attention, and these days has gotten more of it than blogging. I still find that blogging is the most meaningful form of social media for me, it's just very difficult to consistently post when work is busy.

My most recent social media exploration is Twitter. As with blogging, I was slow to join and participate in Twitter. But once I did, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed interacting with others and the built in publishing limit of 140 characters. It made me wonder why I didn't make use of Facebook's status update more, which I do now thanks to Twitter.

The two initial positive aspects of Twitter for me were:

In an age of information overload, 140 characters is beautifully brief.
I liked the personal nature of Twitter status updates, which ask "What are you doing?"

Now that I've Twittered for a brief period, the two most positive aspects of Twitter for me have largely been cancelled out by the following:

Though posts on Twitter are brief, unless you only follow a dozen people, you wind up with far more information than you can keep up with. Yet if you don't follow more people, it's viewed as bad Twitter etiquette by many.
Though Twitter seems to originally have had in mind 140 character blurbs centered on "What you are doing?", the Twitter "elite" roll their eyes at this and encourage people "serious" about Twitter to be information providers who use Twitter to link to things to read or watch.

Here's where I'm at currently:

I'm not giving up on Twitter yet. I'm open to the possibility that there is more to this popular social media platform.
I'm enjoying reading status updates from people I know on and offline about what they are actually doing. My wife and I had a good friend ask us recently if we really care what she is doing during the day, and our answer was "yes!". Time is at a premium and I really enjoy knowing what people in my life, including people that I know exclusively from blogging, are up to.
I'm a hypocrite. Though I enjoy Twitter when used personally, I also appreciate helpful links to areas of interests, and follow some people on Twitter because they are helpful content providers.

Are you using Twitter? If so, what are your thoughts?

Church Anxiety

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:55:30 +0000

Over the last year or so I've stopped going to church regularly. I've done this for reasons that I'm aware of, and I get the feeling for other reasons that I still haven't grappled with.

During the last month I've broken with my church fast, and taken the opportunity to go to a local church with a friend. One of these times was during a Sunday morning gathering. The other two times were during a Perspectives class.

All three occasions were surprisingly painful. At times I felt quietly defensive. Every time I felt like sneaking out the back door early (which I did on one occasion). Some might say I had a "fight or flight" reaction, and they would probably be right.

I also couldn't help but feeling overwhelmed with boredom. I know this probably sounds shallow. But I can't understand why church gatherings are so often about saying and doing the same thing over and over and over? I'm sure mice don't like being put on treadmills, covering the same ground because of their human constructed artificial environment. I don't either.

I wish I had something constructive to add at this point. The truth is: I don't. I love Jesus. I just no longer know how to relate to the spaces where most of his people gather on the same treadmill week after month after year.

I wish I could care enough to do something about this, or perhaps easier, just not care at all. The problem is that I do care. I just don't know the way forward. I feel found. I feel lost.

Hemant Mehta Interview: Friendly Atheist

jjsmulo@yahoo.com (John Smulo) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:10:45 +0000

In this interview I speak with Hemant Mehta, who is a thoughtful, articulate and likeable atheist. I first heard of him through Off The Map, and their eBay Atheist website. Hemant is involved with quite a few things mentioned below, and blogs regularly at Friendly Atheist.

Smulo: Hemant, please tell us something about yourself, including what you do for work, and what some of your involvements are:

Mehta: I am 25 and I currently teach math at a high school in the Western suburbs of Chicago. I am the chair of the Secular Student Alliance board of directors and a board member of the Secular Coalition for America. I do a lot of writing on my website in my spare time.

Smulo: Rumor is, you Sold Your Soul on eBay and wrote a book about it. What is the story behind this?

Mehta: The short version is that I wanted to check out church for myself so I auctioned my time on eBay. For $10, a bidder could have me going to the church (or mosque or synagogue) of his/her choice for one visit. An ex-pastor won the auction for $504 and thought it’d be interesting to have me visit 10 different Christian churches (instead of one church 50 times, which is what I owed him). A publisher heard about this and offered to send me to more churches around the country after my initial visits were done and that led to the book!

Smulo: Did you grow up in a religious family?

Mehta: I did – my family is Jain. It’s a smaller religion, from India, but it’s very influential. Mahatma Gandhi believed in many of its tenets. Jains primarily believe in non-violence – we’re all vegetarians. But where they lose me is with their supernatural thinking – karma, Heaven, Hell, reincarnation, etc.

Smulo: How would you define atheism?

Mehta: To me, atheism means not believing in God. I don’t think anyone can definitively say “there is no God” so atheists lean as close as possible to that part of that spectrum without quite reaching the end of it.

That’s different from an agnostic, who chooses not to take any side on that issue.

Smulo: What is the story behind you being an atheist?

Mehta: I grew up religious, but when my family moved during my early teenage years, I began to question the existence of God. Many other questions followed and all the research I did seemed to lead to this thing called “atheism” – which I’d always thought was a bad word. Eventually, though, I ended up embracing it. So while a traumatic event got me thinking about (a lack of) God, it was my questioning and reading that made me think one didn’t exist.

Smulo: Your blog Friendly Atheist includes Mike Clawson, who is a Christian, as a contributor. What made you decide to involve a Christian in your blog?

Mehta: Mike had frequently commented on my other postings, and his thoughts were always honest and interesting, while never straying from his faith. He was a Christian who understood where atheists were coming from. He knows that we’re not going to convert so he doesn’t try to do that. Mike tries to teach us that not all Christians are alike, and he’s not afraid of calling atheists out when we do or say something idiotic. I appreciate that sort of honesty.

Smulo: I know this next question is loaded, but a truthful response would be helpful for Christians to hear: What is your perception of Christians and Christianity?

Mehta: While I meet a lot of honest, interesting, fun, and likable Christians on a daily basis, the first words that come to mind when I think Christian deal with the social stereotype: they’re homophobic, more interested in tearing apart other peoples’ marriages than trying to make their own any better. They’re judgmental, thinking they know what’s best for everyone else without realizing how they come off when they say it. They’re also timid, letting other Christians speak for them without criticizing the speakers. (How many times have I heard someone say “That other Christian doesn’t speak for me” while doing nothing to promote different, more positive voices?) If enough Christians spoke up, the likes of Rick Warren and Pat Robertson would give way to people like Shane Claiborne and Brian McLaren.

Too bad the only critics you’ll hear come from the atheist side of the fence.

Smulo: What do you think is the stereotypical Christian perspective on atheists and atheism? Do you think it’s accurate or not?

Mehta: Of course it’s inaccurate. Too many Christians rely on their own people to tell them what atheists are like (“You know, I used to be an atheist once… but now I’m a Christian…) instead of talking to a real live atheist. They’d learn a lot if they tried it . We’re everywhere!

Smulo: Thank you very much for participating in this interview. I’ve admired your intelligent thoughts, and ability to connect with people from different perspectives from your own.

Mehta: Thanks for asking some great questions!