Author Archive
Jimmy Spencer Jr.
Let Them Eat Cake
Saturday, May 12th, 2012
That’s what she said.
It wasn’t out of malice or even hard-heartedness that Marie Antoinette supposedly uttered these now infamous words, but out of a barnacled ignorance that grows and eventually blinds all people who live in positions of advantage for extended periods of time…
Entitlement.
Marie suffered from the same blindness that American Christians suffer so greatly from today:
We actually think we’re the oppressed majority…
We actually think we’re under attack…
We actually think people are waging war on our values…
Painting Fences and Making Names
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Tom Brokaw called them the greatest generation.
My grandfathers were a proud part of a generation that fought Hitler, saved the world from tyranny jumped started the US economy. Not a bad list for a group of former immigrants and cast-offs.
Sadly they are farther and fewer between—since most have passed on. I came to find one thing about the people of that time. If you wanted to get to know them…
You didn’t go out for coffee You didn’t sit down for a heart to heart talk.
You went out and worked together.
Whose Death Does God Cheer?
Monday, May 2nd, 2011
I’m not a pacifist—but I do not celebrate the death of another human.
Even Osama bin Laden.
I remember watching the riots and flag burning in parts of the MIddle East that took place after the 9/11 events. I remember feeling angry toward those people celebrating the deaths of my countrymen. I remember feeling anger toward the people that perpetrated the attacks on mothers and fathers and working class people across the country. I couldn’t help but to think, “what is wrong with those people that they really think that God is on their side?” I remember thinking; “They actually think that this is how God demonstrates his favor—by killing the people who don’t fit into our moral, political or religious agendas?”
Digging Deeper: The Coming Evangelical Split
Saturday, April 9th, 2011
I wrote a short article a few weeks back on the split of Evangelical Christianity. It started out as simply a Facebook note and went viral at online hubs such as Red Letter Christians with Tony Campolo and Churchleaders.com—which led to about 100,000 people having a chance to engage these thoughts. Those hub conversations sparked several other great conversations on cool blogs such as Scot McKnight and Rachel Held Evans. My note was never written as a full thought—but more a simple observation or declaration of what I believe is happening and will continue to happen.
I would prefer a nice short article! This type of thought requires more thoroughness with carefully chosen words and phrases. I’m a practitioner, not a theologian—so please have a bit of grace with me. My hope is that we can all have a conversation about the current landscape and not simply throw rocks at others views—while seeking to prop up or defend our views. Let me be clear—this is what I see already underlying in Evangelicalism right now. I’m not calling for a split or division. I’m simply describing what I experience as a leader within Evangelicalism — and sharing in more detail where these trends will possibly lead in the next few years.
Love Wins: A New Split in Protestant Evangelicalism
Monday, March 14th, 2011
There has been an inordinate amount of craziness around this book.
Everyone I know seems to have weighed in on this topic.
Everyone is watching…
Is this really about Rob Bell and his thoughts on Hell and theology?
I think it’s a lot deeper than that.
Over the past couple years we have seen a growing hostility between conservative and more legalistic traditions of Christianity here in the USA and the more progressive traditions who focus more on loving and serving others. This doesn’t cleanly break across strictly denominational lines either.
Watch.
It’s Not Just a FREE Book. . .It’s a Gift!
Sunday, December 26th, 2010
Over the past 2 years I have been writing a book called Love Without Agenda: My Journey Out of Consumer Christianity. Last June when my team and I decided that we would be giving away our book to anyone who wanted to read it—we had to decide what exactly ‘free’ meant. How do you give something away and still maintain its value?
Often times, ‘free’—while initially exciting—isn’t valued very much in our culture.
Free books may not ever get read or shared because they are…well…
Just free.
But, what is free?
Why is it so different from a gift?
