Sound bite Jesus

I am a pastor of a church. Not “the” pastor, but in everyday terms I guess you could call me an associate pastor. I haven’t always been in the ministry. For most of my adult life I had a “regular” job. I don’t spend much time talking about my faith on this blog because that is not what this blog is about, although my faith may come through some because my faith is part of who I am.

I said all that because I ran across a post by Jen at escapevelocity yesterday called “jesus is my homeboy”. Truthfully I liked it. I don’t necessarily agree with all of it, obviously, but that is okay.

Jen says, “If I were going to check out a religion, it wouldn’t be the one with the glossy commercial on Channel 12. But that’s just me.”

I am reading Brian McLaren’s book “The Secret Message of Jesus” (see my sidebar). By the title it sounds as if it could be a self-absorbed, esoteric, Christian secret society kind of book, but its not. I read this phrase from the book this morning and thought about Jen’s post:

Is it possible that the message of Jesus was less like an advertising slogan – obvious and loud – and more like a poem whose meaning only comes subtly and quietly to those who read slowly, think long and deeply, and refuse to give up.

I, like Jen, am not interested in a faith whose message can be reduced to a slick 30 second sound bite.

Happy Easter by the way ...