Reflections of the Top

I really enjoy having an iPod. I listen to podcasts nearly every day of the week. Most of them are well-known Bible expositors, as well as that of teachings from my own local church. My iPod is small, and low-profile enough that it is easily concealable and it stays out of the way. I usually listen to them all throughout the work day. I call it "sanity maintenance". (Laughing here). And yes, I am permitted at work to do so.

Today I was looking through the "Religion and Spirituality" section at iTunes to see what was available, and I happened upon their list of the 25 "Top Podcasts". It read as follows:

1. Oprah and Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" online class.

2. Joel Osteen (Audio) Podcast

3. The Passion Podcast, Louie Giglio

4. Joel Osteen (Video) Podcast

5. LDS General Conference

6. Joyce Meyer Radio Podcasts, Enjoying Everyday Life

7. Meditation Oasis, Mary and Richard Maddux

8. "A New Earth" After Show, Elizabeth Lesser

9. In Touch, Dr. Charles Stanley

10.1 Year Daily Audio Bible

11.The Potter's Touch, Bishop T. D. Jakes

12.Mars Hill Bible Church

13.North Point Ministry, Andy Stanley

14.Let My People Think, Ravi Zacharias

15.Renewing Your Mind, Dr. R.C. Sproul

16.Joyce Meyer TV (Audio) Podcast

17.Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson

18.Desiring God Sermon Audio, John Piper

19.Truth For Life Broadcast, Alistair Begg

20.Insight For Living, Chuck Swindoll

21.Creflo Dollar Ministries, Dr. Creflo Dollar

22.Rob Bell, Everything is Spiritual

23.Zencast, Zencast.Org

24.Joyce Meyer TV Podcast

25.Mars Hill Church, Pastor Mark Driscoll

I know that this is not a poll of any sort, but the content of this list and these numbers are a bit telling. Of course, Oprah Winfrey is probably one of the most, if not the most well-known "Baptists" in the world today. Her team-up with Eckhart Tolle is proving to be very popular too.

On March 3rd, 500,000 people (I'm betting the majority of them women) logged on to Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle's live broadcast. That is pretty impressive as far as internet broadcasts are concerned. I would venture to guess that Oprah Winfrey is actually one of the most influential women on the planet, spiritually speaking. The nonsense that she promotes every week gets into the minds of people who have been watching her for many many years, and they have grown to think of her as a spiritually safe person to listen to and learn from. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Oprah has become dangerous, spiritually speaking. She mentions Jesus fairly frequently and references Scripture, but she is carefully leading people away from the Jesus of the Bible, and toward a belief that we are actually divine ourselves, and that we are in control of well, just about everything that has to do with us.

Oprah does some very nice things. Her leadership academies for girls in South Africa were pretty good investments, and she has paid for the college educations of numerous people here at home in the U.S.. That's great, but unfortunately, she does what most new age gurus do. She repackages what so many of them have already said, calls it something else and speaks with authority about what it has done for her. Since she has done nice things, refers to herself as a Christian, and since she is in a position of power, people look to her for answers. She has answers, but they are so messed up. I wonder how long her ride will last.

Joel Osteen is another one. Here is a guy that people flock to. He's nice. He says positive things that make people feel good. On the other hand, he thinks Mitt Romney is a Christian. One of the statements that he has made that is most amazing to me is one that he made about his qualifications as a pastor. When being interviewed by Chris Wallace last December, he was reminded by Wallace that it had been said of him that he didn't have any experience as pastor. His answer was something like, "I'm comfortable with that, because neither did the twelve apostles of Jesus." I was a bit stunned by that. I mean, maybe if you could discount the three years they spent at the elbow of the Master Rabbi of the universe, his statement might move closer to having some merit, but not really.

There are some very good teachers on this list; Chuck Swindoll, Ravi Zacharias, John Piper and R. C. Sproul just to name a few, but most of the teaching available there is either cultic or heretical in nature. I can tell you this, if I happened to find out that our high school church class was watching "Nooma" videos and other Rob Bell stuff, I would not hesitate to do something about it. I wouldn't storm into the room and smash the DVD player (laughing here) but I would definitely get it stopped.

I said the other day in a post that "My deepest concern is that the higher profile leaders of emergent movement could succeed at changing evangelicalism into something that it ought not to be." This list is full of emergent stuff that is anything but Christianity.

Last year, Doug Pagitt wrote back to someone who had written to him. In his email, he stated: "I'm not sure you'd be interested in this, but I have just finished a book somewhat on this topic. I think it might give you a more full understanding of the gospel than the one perverted by the likes of John MacArthur. I do not say "perverted" lightly, either. I really think what he communicates is so distant from the message of the Bible that it is dangerously harmful to people. If you heard the interview and his comments about a God who is "above us," I certainly hope you would see this."

Sometimes "the opposite is true". It is not John MacArthur's teaching that is dangerously harmful. Rather, it is the teachings of Doug Pagitt that are the problem. He and Rob Bell are two of the three most prolific writers to come out of the emergent movement, and it is at these very candid moments that they often make their feelings truly known.

I guess a list like this should not surprise me. Like Oprah Winfrey and Rob Bell, there are so many people who are dissatisfied with the way "church is done". Some people have legitimate complaints in that department, but I have heard way too many people make those kind of complaints when all that they were saying would be more accurately stated: "I don't like spending that much time in worship because I get bored. I don't like to hear expository teaching through which I get convicted by the Holy Spirit."

I have a friend who is very active in his church. His church denomination fairly liturgical and He says that he gets a little annoyed because people will sometimes come up to him and say things like, "I didn't get very much out of that." He is pretty gracious to such people, as well that he should be. However, if I were being told that by someone I would still be gracious to them, but I would be thinking, "Well, you know what? It's not supposed to be about you. It's supposed to be about Him." We are there to worship Him.

I understand that people get bored. That's why entertainment oriented churches are so full, but sometimes the reason a person is bored in the pews is not because the pastor is boring, but because they find the Word of God boring. To me, that is an indication that they find the God of the Bible boring. They find Jesus, boring.

You know something? If I can get there, I can't wait to be in church. This is what I can expect when I get there-- I will see brothers and sisters in the Lord. I get to talk with them. I love them. They love me. We gather together in the sanctuary and we greet each other and we pray to God. We worship in song together for a time and then we listen to a teaching for about an hour. Sometimes it is longer than that. We pray, we talk, we love. We go home. It isn't always just like that. There are different things that happen, but that's about it.

At least that would be about it if there were not so many opportunities to serve. There are missions, there is children's ministry, there are a host of ways to serve and to reach the lost. That means involvement. Complaining from the pews that "I didn't get much out of that," is kind of like the person who didn't vote complaining about the outcome of an election. The analogy breaks down, but I think the point is made.

So why are so many people so bored with church? Maybe I will explore that a bit more, next time.