Hanging With Joel Osteen

Yep, it's true. That's Joel and me cuddling in the afterglow of one of his warm-and-fuzzy, feel-good positive messages at his Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He let me know that if only I had a "can-do attitude," realizing I'm "a victor and not a victim," and that since I "come from a spiritual blood line of champions," I can live my "best life now." I just gotta have faith. Do I have an Amen?

When my best school friend since third grade visited me last month from Michigan, he thought it would be a shame not to see Joel Osteen while visiting Texas. So we went.

It is the largest church in the United States, with 30,000 members. Joel preaches where the Houston Rockets used to play basketball -- until it was purchased by Lakewood Church. If only the NBA team could have rocked the house like Joel can! Judging by the crowd's reaction, his sermon was a slam dunk.

I've been to only a few music concerts in my day (e.g., R.E.M., The Cranberries, Credence Clearwater Revival), but Lakewood Church puts on just as good a show.

I enjoyed the experience because of its entertainment value and Joel's celebrity status, but I must say it's no substitute for the sacrifice of the Mass. Even more impressive than Joel's presence is the Real Presence.

I Hate When Bloggers Quit

I hate when bloggers I enjoy stop blogging.

I noticed I haven't posted a blog entry in six months, and, while I'm sure that's not rocking anyone's world, it bugs me. So I'm renewing my personal commitment to blog. It does a body good.

My plan (subject to change in an instant) is to post smaller, but more frequent, entries -- and perhaps less formal ones. We'll see how it goes.

If you're even half-interested in what I say (or anyone else) when I let my fingers do the talking, I recommend getting a free news aggregator. It will show you what, if any, new posts I have published without having to actually go to my blog site. Not only that, you can read them in their entirety without visiting "So Let It Be Written . . . ."

If you use Mozilla's free Firefox Web browser, then you can use the "Live Bookmarks" that are built in. They can tell you my blog titles, and if you click on one, you will be directed to that page on my site.

However, since I'm such a Google fan, I recommend that you try Google Reader, a Web-based news aggregator. It has most of the features one would want in a news reader, plus the freedom to access your account from any computer. Right now I keep up with 26 different blogs (and podcasts) using Google Reader. I know for a fact I'd never visit all those sites individually. It's easier to let them come to me.

Would You Wear an Electric-Chair Necklace?

I've heard the sarcastic question asked many times from people who object to wearing a cross or crucifix as jewelry. It was asked again today by the host of an Evangelical Christian radio program on my way home from work: If Jesus was electrocuted, would you wear an electric chair around your neck?

Illustration by Nate Hibma.
His views are not necessarily those of this blog.

My answer is YES, especially if the early Christians gloried in it like they did the cross. Maybe St. Paul would have written:

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him electrocuted" (1 Cor 2:2).

"Far be it from me to glory except in the chair of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been electrocuted to me, and I to the world" (Gal 6:14)

"But we preach Christ electrocuted, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (I Cor 1:23-24).

"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as electrocuted" (Gal 3:1).

The reason devout Christians wear a crucifix is to showcase and keep in remembrance history's greatest act of love for mankind.

Whether we read it or write it, sing it or wear it, the message is the same: Jesus died so that we may live.

"Un-Bull-Leaving Israelites"

I recently finished reading Catholic theologian Scott Hahn's book, Lord, Have Mercy. I want to provide an excerpt from pages 125-126 under the subhead "Un-Bull-Leaving Israelites," in which he touches on some Christian typology in the Old Testament history of Israel:

And it wasn't only their bellies that were groaning after their departure from Egypt. They also built a golden image of Apis, a bull calf, the Egyptian god of virility, and they conducted an orgy there in the desert (Ex 32:1-6).

Israel was its own worst enemy, but certainly not its only one. On the way to their occupation of the promised land, the Israelites had to conquer seven mighty nations that opposed their advance.

All of this, according to the fathers of the Church, is like the situation of humanity. We are born slaves. That is why Israel's servile stint with Egypt is a typological picture of the soul in original sin. It's also why Israel being led through the Red Sea is a symbol of baptism (see 1 Cor 10:1-4). God has set us free, through baptism, from the slavery of original sin, but we still suffer its aftereffects in lingering concupiscence. So it is only with difficulty that we give up sinful habits. Moreover, our corrupt nature continues to hanker after the sensual pleasures that accompany a life of slavery to sin. If we are to break free of the land of our exile, we must put to death such longings -- our concupiscence. We must sacrifice, in our lives, the created things that sinners tend to make into idols.

We need to discipline ourselves to resist temptation. We need to train ourselves to make war against the world, the concpuiscent flesh, and the devil. The fathers of the Church pointed out that, like the Israelites, we, too, must conquer seven "nations" before we ourselves can lay claim to the promised land of heaven. The pagan nations represent the traditional seven deadly sins: pride, anger, gluttony, lust, laziness, envy, and greed.

Short Piece Published Online

On Christianity.com/magazine: Do You Want to Come Home?