Well, when I was googling for the URL for the “Metropolitan Artists Market”, the first result was for WCCO’s photo gallery of the opening day, which I performed for. Looks like my mugshot made it onto their website. That was one warm morning. Tomorrow’s gonna be just as warm, if not warmer.

This will be the first time in a loooooooong time that I’ve done any playing on a Sunday morning—and it’s finally not church-related.

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve really been having issues with the whole church thing and christian culture. I’m just so annoyed with it right now that I want nothing to do with it—that sometimes puts me in scary territory of laying aside my “christian spiritual life”. It’s not that I don’t believe in God and all that Jesus has done for me—I’m just tired of church and tired of Western-Brand Christianity.

That leaves me in a bit of a lonely spot.

Anyway, I need to get to bed. 8:00 is gonna come awefully early.

July 24, 2005, 1:00 am

Filed under: Christian Subculture, Performance, Spirituality, Websites

3 Comments »

1. Margaret Romao Toigo said,

   July 24, 2005 @ 11:13 am

   What is it that annoys you about Christian culture? Is it the politicization of the Christian faith and the way that the so-called “religious right” have hijacked Christianity in order to forward an authoritarian political agenda?

   If so, take heart as there are Christians out there who are just as fed up as you.

   http://www.christianalliance.org/site/c.bnKIIQNtEoG/b.592941/k.CB7C/Home.htm

2. Margaret Romao Toigo said,

   July 24, 2005 @ 11:15 am

   Oh, yes. Since you are interested in music, culture and technology, you may also be interested in Blogcritics.

3. Michael said,

   July 25, 2005 @ 8:52 am

   Hi Margaret.

   Thanks for joinin’ the blog and your contributions. As far as what annoys me about Christian culture? Where do I begin? I think it warrants a regular blog posting or two to just lay it all out on the line.

   Among the annoyances is involvement in politics under the Christian banner—politics and the Kingdom of God don’t mix—they’re two seperate systems run completely different and don’t fare well with each other.

   Also, how everything has become so programmatic and overly influenced by the culture. It ought to be the opposite—highly relational and an influencer of culture because of its RELATIONAL influence, not its policies, programs, or schemes.

   My biggest bone to pick however, is the lack of relational commitment/covenant with each other—in other words, how easy it is to get lost and become forgotten. You can be an extremely visible entity in your church, involved to unhealthy proportions, and when the day comes that your involvement stops people only miss you for what you do—and not necessarily for who you are.

   I’ve got an unhealthy amount of resentment towards the institution of the church—only because the degree of let-down is so massive. The church used to literally be a sanctuary for me, a safe hiding place, where I could find myself in the midst of service towards my Creator. Unfortunately, it isn’t such a place for me these days—and because of it, I feel lost, alone, and troubled.

   If you’re interested, I will try to blog more about this, that you’d be able to get a better picture of what has brought about this resentment.

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