Author Archive
Christian Piatt
Letter From a “Demon Possessed” Woman
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
It’s interesting how certain patterns emerge in our lives sometimes. Part of it, I expect, has more to do with awareness than actual coincidence, like when I start seeing blue Pruises (Prii?) everywhere after buying one.
Yesterday I got a book in the mail called Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment by Janet Heimlich. And a couple of days before that I got an email through my website, which I’ll share in a minute.
A while back I wrote a few pieces about my son, Mattias, who is dealing with Asperger Syndrome. The first was about when we told him about his special condition, and the second was about the less enjoyable side of Aspergers: the meltdowns. Third was one about his tendency to obsess his way into an emotional knot.
Blue Like Jazz: I Was Donald Miller (w/ INTERVIEW)
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
I was Donald Miller.
Once upon a time, a lot of us were. Some of us still are.
I, too, grew up in the church. Then it hurt me. So I walked away — injured, disillusioned, and pissed off.
I, too, went away to college and left my faith behind me, with no intention of ever looking back.
I, too, met an beautiful young woman who showed me a different side of what life as a follower of Jesus could be.
And though my journey has been nothing as remarkable as Miller’s, it’s no less improbable.
Four Reasons I Came Back to Church
Thursday, March 29th, 2012
I’ve written a couple of pieces lately that have gotten a lot of attention about why younger people tend to walk away from church. If you haven’t seen them yet, here are the links:
Seven Reasons Why Young Adults Quit Church
Four More (BIG) Reasons Why Young Adults Quit Church
It was suggested that I might also post a piece about why young adults come back to church. Though I can’t say for sure why ALL young adults in church do so, I can share a few reasons why I, as a young adult, went back after ten years.
Worship, Evangelism and “Earning the Right” to Invite
Sunday, March 25th, 2012
Those of us who are involved in church are well-trained to invite people to worship. We find ways to bring up in conversation how great our music is, how compelling the sermons are and how children are involved in our ministry. Part of this is driven by the desire to grow the church, but there’s also the very human tendency to want to share something that is exciting or meaningful to us.
But when we invite people to participate in worship as their first experience as part of the faith community, we have things all out of order.
Sure, some people will come through the doors because of an ad in the paper, the sign outside or word-of-mouth buzz, and we don’t want to turn them away, obviously. But for those who seem curious about what this whole church thing is about, worship as a first step may be overwhelming, alien or even alienating. We may never have another chance to introduce them to anything else we’re about.
The Dark Side of Kony 2012: Look in the Mirror
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
Most folks are at least somewhat familiar with the “Kony 2012″ phenomenon by now. Millions have become captivated by the story. But by and large, no one knew a thing about Joseph Kony, Invisible Children or Jason Russell a couple of weeks ago.
It’s a new world.
For those still catching their breath in the 24-hour news cycle and viral media reality we’re in, Joseph Kony is a member of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. He’s also a wanted war criminal, accused of having a hand in more than 30,000 children being abducted and forced into fighting for the LRA in the past few decades. He’s a fugitive, and the folks at Invisible Children decided to do something about it.
Four More (BIG) Reasons Young Adults Quit Church
Sunday, March 18th, 2012
There has been a surprisingly positive response to the article I published earlier in the week called “Seven Reasons Why Young Adults Quit Church.” And as I noted, it was hardly a comprehensive list. There were several others I thought were worth noting if I’d had the room, so I thought I’d continue with the same theme today.
And as I said in yesterday’s article:
- Although the answer(s) vary from person to person, there are some general trends that I think apply in most cases, and;
- In the list below, when I refer to “we,” “I” or “me,” I’m referring to younger adults in general, and not necessarily myself.
