I’ve been doing this online thing a long time, going all the way back to BBSes in the 1980s, and every time people are allowed to interact with each other online it turns toxic. Maybe we got it right with Web1.0 and should have just left it there? I think I want to develop a Mastodon client now that only allows you to compose original toots and read others (but no comments!). Or perhaps just a “mindful” client that reminds you that the people you are replying to are actual people with feelings, and then maybe puts your post in jail for 15-30 minutes before allowing you to actually post it. It also should pop up a dialog reminding you “Do not read the comments” before allowing you to read the comments.

Any country that allows legislators to pick their voters is not a functioning democracy.

And speaking of non-functioning democracies:

“And life was indeed good for the Robertses, at least for the years 2007 to 2014. During that eight-year stretch, according to internal records from her employer, Jane Roberts generated a whopping $10.3 million in commissions, paid out by corporations and law firms for placing high-dollar lawyers with them.”

From the Department of Jesus Literally Said the Opposite of What You Are Teaching:

“It’s all part of The King coming back,” Feucht told the audience. “That’s what we’re practicing for,” he insisted, before adding, “That’s why we get called ‘Christian nationalists.’”

The King who let the state murder him rather than send his angels down to seize power by force.

Feucht then presented an imaginary dialog, in which he mockingly imitated the voice of secular critics: “You want The Kingdom to be the government,” he said, before thundering a reply in his own voice: “Yes!”

This is the same Church that oversaw inquisitions, crusades, pogroms, the Doctrine of Discovery, and the slave trade during previous periods when it had political power. Maybe Jesus was on to something with the whole suffering love rather than pursuit of power thing?

“You want God to come on over and take over the government,” he said, responding, again: “Yes!”

He’s obviously never heard the one about “my kingdom is not of this world.”

Apparently Sean Feucht’s Jesus said “screw you Pilate, I’m taking over for Caesar right now.” He said, “you see who’s on this coin? Give me the damn coin. I’m going to miracle my face onto it.”

Fuecht continued, now using his voice alone: “We want God to be in control of everything! We want believers to be the ones writing the laws! Yes! Guilty as charged.”

Not believers in Jesus, mind you. These believers will be right-wing Christofascist Moloch worshippers, because that really is what “Christian” nationalism is.

The Playlist

I’ve had a request on Mastodon to share my “Less Troubling Evangelical Worship” playlist, so here it is:

Grace Like a Wave – Elevation Worship
Everything Is Sacred – Pat Barrett
It Is So – Elevation Worship
So Will I (100 Billion X) – Hillsong Worship & TAYA
Heart Of God – Hillsong Young & Free
Sparrows – Cory Asbury
Christ Be All Around Me – Michael W. Smith
God So Loved – We The Kingdom
Transfiguration – Hillsong Worship & TAYA
Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) – Hillsong Worship & TAYA
Way Maker – Passion & Kristian Stanfill
The Blessing – Bethel Music & We The Kingdom
Our Father – Bethel Music & Jenn Johnson
All for Love (Gethsemane) – Luke + Anna Hellebronth
This I Believe (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship & Matt Crocker
He is Yahweh – Morning Star
King of Kings – Hillsong Worship & Brooke Ligertwood
All Praise – Sean Curran
Here Again – Elevation Worship
Light of Your Face – Misty Edwards
You Made a Way – Matt Gilman
Our Jesus – Amanda Cook
God Is On The Throne – We The Kingdom

Notes:

• Yep, a lot of these are from the “big four” worship bands from yesterday’s article. But I did the heavy lifting to filter out all of the “victory,” militarism, and “my God can beat up your God”ism.
• The songs here lean heavily toward grace. If I were stranded on a desert island and only allowed one theological concept for the rest of my life, that would be it. There’s also a sprinkling of panentheism in a few of the songs if you listen to them the right way, although I’m sure the artists didn’t intend that.
• This playlist is primarily intended to be a list of worship songs that I would actually feel comfortable singling along with in a church setting, but most of the artists with a spiritual bent that I really like to listen to (and who may not even be Christians anymore) aren’t in it. A few examples of those: Jars of Clay, Gungor, Pedro the Lion, Amanda Cook (who is ex-Bethel but has a more mystical theme to her more recent music), The Glorious Unseen, The Ember Days, and even U2!

Religion News Service has a great article today on why all evangelical worship music sounds the same today.

The fact that 36 of the 38 top worship songs of the 2010s were produced by four charismatic megachurches goes a long way toward explaining why the theology of most contemporary worship music is absolutely dreadful.

I have a small, tightly curated list of “Less Troubling Evangelical Worship Songs” that I will still listen to, but most of the time when I hear a worship song I find myself cringing at the theology within about the first 30 seconds. But the one word in any worship song that will cause my brain to melt is “victory”. Evangelicals love warrior Jesus but want nothing to do with suffering, crucified Jesus.