Barstool Preaching

Do you know what you believe? I mean, do you really know what you believe? Do you know it well enough that should you read something that goes against your beliefs in a book or on the internet, would you be able to call it out?

In our house, we have what's called Jen's Barstool Preaching. Every once in a while I read or hear something that I think is absolutely the most utterly absurd thing ever. I will then in great big letters write in that book, something edifying like, "that's not right," or "I don't believe that," and if I am feeling super-duper-I-am-spiritual that day, I'll Scripture reference "why" it is wrong.

That is usually followed by me perching myself on a kitchen barstool and preaching to J why exactly I am right and the author of the book/quote/whatever is wrong. He's perfected the art of turning on the "nothing" section of his brain while I rant for hours on end. (Side Note: I only recently learned that when a man says he is thinking about "nothing" that he is literally thinking of "nothing." Fascinating. I can't do that.)

If you're wondering, a little preaching has been going on here recently. Around the same time I decided to play a little catch up on my podcasts. I left off in Dec 2010....with White Horse Inn.

The podcast was a synopsis of a survey in which they surveyed men/women who choose Christian curriculum, publish books. etc. It reinforced my, do I know what I believe barstool preaching.

Here are the questions (from White Horse Inn, Dec 12, 2010 podcast).
Do you agree/disagree with the following statements:

- There is no one who does good, no one who seeks God.
- Children are not born guilty of Adam's sin only become guilty at the age of
accountability. (Which BTW is the Doctrine of Original Sin)
- Doctrine of Justification teaches we become acceptable to God over time by the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
- We're saved by grace after all we can do.
- God helps those who help themselves. (FYI: Ben Franklin said this.)
- Blessed are the poor in spirit is a familiar line from Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts.
- More than anything Jesus is a great moral example that show us how to live.
- Christ died on the cross to show us how much he loves us.

How did you do? Do you know the answers? Do you know what the Bible says about each of them?
The challenge to me: know what I believe. Read with not a critical eye, but an eye that is sensitive to the truth. Just because I purchase something in a "Christian" bookstore, does not mean that I will agree with everything that is written in it nor does it mean that it is doctrinally sound.

A professor once told me that along with a Bible, every one should own a copy of a hymnal and know some basic creeds. Here is one that summarizes what I believe.

The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

For those of you who are musically inclined, you can listen to The Creed by either Third Day or Rich Mullins