Popular Culture | The Overflow

May 28 2009

San Diego County Official Threatens Fines for Home Bible Study

Did you hear about this?

A San Diego County official in Southern California is threatening to fine a local minister and his wife for having people over for a Bible study each week.

Somehow the county official heard about the Bible study, confronted the homeowners about it, and asked them, “Do you have a regular meeting in your home?” She also asked if they say things like, “Praise the Lord,” or “Amen.”

According to the county official, the couple’s Bible study is against county regulations, and a few days after her visit, the couple recieved a written warning saying they were unlawfully using their land and needed to apply for a permit to hold a religious meeting at their home – something that could cost up into the thousands of dollars.

I sure hope San Francisco County officials don’t follow the example of this one in San Diego. If word were to get out at City Hall about what me and my friends do in private homes each week (i.e. have Bible studies), we’d be in major trouble.

What do you think – would any of you be willing to send me a few thousand dollars to buy a permit so that I could lawfully have a Bible study with a few people in a private residence? :p

Outrageous? What do you think?

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May 27 2009

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Current Events, Humor, Popular Culture

Church Members Find Four Dead Bodies In Newly Purchased Building

When Reginald Burrell, the preacher for the Northlake Church of Christ in Gary, IN, went to visit his church’s newly purchased building, he had no idea what he was in for.

The building they’d purchased had formerly been owned by The Serenity Gardens Funeral Home, and apparently the funeral director had left town in a hurry. Either that, or he’s very absent minded. Or he’d planned to direct his own episode of Punk’d (only he forgot to call Ashton Kutcher and MTV to be involved with him).

Four dead bodies were discovered – one in a body bag, one in a burial box, and two in caskets (you got Punk’d, dude)!

It is believed the bodies had been there since 2006 – the same year Darryl Cammack, Serenity’s former owner, lost his funeral home license (for the second time). Apparently several of Cammack’s former clients had complained about him.

Gee, I wonder why. Maybe he misplaced their loved one’s body in his basement somewhere (I mean, why couldn’t they settle for burying this other body … a body’s a body … right?).

The Northlake Church bought this building at a tax sale. No doubt they acquired the old funeral home for a great price, but they also got more than they bargained for – FOUR DEAD BODIES!

I’ve heard of people finding, like, old dead rats and stuff in their new buildings … maybe even a snake or two every once in a while – maybe even a dead possum or dog or cat , but this is the first time I’ve heard of four dead, human bodies!

What’s Cammack going to say when they catch him? Seriously?

“WHOOPS!”

“My bad, I seem to have left some of my old things in my basement.”

“My bad, I forgot about the FOUR DEAD BODIES I never got around to burying.”

We are talking about Gary, Indiana though. You have to keep in mind that’s the same town that produced The Jackson Family.

If you’d like to read the full story, click here or google “Northlake Church of Christ dead bodies.”

Oh, and here’s an online coupon to save $5.00 on a funeral flower purchase from The Serenity Gardens Funeral Home. It’s a win win for you and Cammack. He’s going to need cash to pay his lawyer’s fees, and you’re going to save five bucks on the purchase of beautiful, dust-resistant fake flowers.

I’m always looking out for my readers.

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May 26 2009

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Popular Culture, Resources, Teaching

Notes from The Pepperdine Lectures – Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment

Notes from Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment’s Class at The 2009 Pepperdine Lectures – “When Past Meets Post: What’s a Church to Do? pt. 1” – Wednesday May 6, 2009 – 8:30AM. This was the first class in a series of three discussing the church and postmodernism.

Postmoderism is “the collapse of inherited metanarratives.”
Modernity says, “We’re going to make the world a better place by reason, science, technology, etc.” Postmodernity says back to modernity, “The report cards are in, and you’ve failed!”
When Rick was in elementary school, the teacher taught him how Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found America. When Jonathan was in elementary school, the teacher taught him how Columbus sailed the ocean blue, found American, and butchered the Indians.
Our culture has a problem with the exclusive claim that Jesus is Lord – ONLY. That’s because our culture values consumerism above all else. The world revolves around self.
Churches have become more akin to the Home Shopping Network than a revolution!
Depending on mass-media too much reverses the incarnation – truth needs a body (the role of the church)!
Tony Campolo quote (not exact): “Mixing the gospel and politics is like mixing horse manure and ice cream. It won’t affect the horse manure that much, but you might not like the ice cream.”
Moderns come to a church and ask, “Is this true?” Postmoderns come to a church and ask, “Do I want to be like these people?”
Moderns: Believe –> Behave –> Belong
Postmoderns: Belong –> Believe –> Behave

Things that are going to happen to the church as a direct result of postmodern thought:

Postmodernity is going to diminish the rule of legalism.
Postmodernity will diminish self-righteousness.
Postmodernity will encourage the church to embrace mystery.
Postmodernity will call the church to be more authentic.
Postmodernity will cause us to hold up Jesus instead of the church. The church is embodied in a person. Where the church hasn’t looked like Jesus, we must confess and repent.
Postmodernity will cause us to rethink and rearticulate our story. Its hero is one who died on a cross.

For more teaching from Jonathan and Rick, subscribe to their podcast here.

Also, check out Jonathan’s blog. There’s a good post on keeping the Sabbath (taking a day off) there today.

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The Overflow

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." -Jesus

Category Archives: Popular Culture

San Diego County Official Threatens Fines for Home Bible Study

Church Members Find Four Dead Bodies In Newly Purchased Building

Notes from The Pepperdine Lectures – Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment