"...even though we're the most blessed society in the history of the planet-our best selling literature (speaking of Christian literature) still focuses on how we can be more blessed."*

Somewhere along the lines we forgot that Jesus' simple request was to "follow me". Jesus was a martyr. Even the guys who hung with Jesus, the guys who never really understood him or his mission until he was long gone, even those guys understood that to follow him meant possible death. Peter exclaims "we are willing to die with you!" Jesus asks us to take up our cross as a part of following him! Do we pause to realize how radical and awkward that statement would be during that time? The cross was a symbol of death, torture, public shame. "If you want to be my disciple you must take up your noose and follow me."

Does Christianity today require death? What are we called to die to? Is it possible that many of us have so missed the point that the only death mainstream Christianity has asked us to partake in is the death of listening to quality "Christian"** music?

Not exactly connected to the thoughts in this blog is another great blog that a friend of mine pointed me to. Check it out if you have time.

Good luck finding your death.

*borrowed from Erwin McManus' book The Barbarian Way
** It hurts me to use "Christian" as an adjective. It should be a noun.