I think it’s time to say this.

If you haven’t noticed, things have gotten kind of divisive lately.

I read recently that President Obama is, statistically, the most polarizing President in history.  Sounds hard to believe after W.  Basically, that means we’re becoming more hard-bitten in our half-witted “ideologies” while we plug our ears with toilet paper.

And you know that Christians are no different.

While I try to keep conversations here productive and reasonable, sometimes the controversy is just exhausting.  Christians (at least those of us who pay attention to any other Christians) divide ourselves over politics, social issues, theology, the “feel” of Christianity (since when is Christianity about a “feeling?”), and a million other tiny issues.  We are even divided over which Christians we should show unity with.

If you think we may be letting things get out of hand, please read on.  And I’ve never asked you to do this before, but let’s try to share this message at least as much as we spread the latest juicy bit of Christian gossip.

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Okay, here’s the deal.

Last week, John Piper invited controversy by saying that God gave Christianity a distinctively male quality.  And if men and women embrace that essential maleness, we’ll all be happier.

After all, Jesus was a man who had twelve male disciples.  All of the Old Testament prophets were men.  Even God Himself is revealed to be a “father.”

If you’re the type who thinks the church is full of effeminate fairy-boy worship leaders, then this may be music to your ears.  On the other hand, it may seem hurtful and hard to accept to women.

And as usual, I’m here in the middle, ready to sort this one out.

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Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I’ve done this.

But there’s a blog you should all be reading.  I mean it.

It’s been over a year since I’ve had a Q and A with a blogger that I want you to know.  But Caleb Wilde will fill a very important niche in your blog reader: the guy-who-handles-dead-bodies-all-day-and-blogs-about-it niche.

Caleb is a funeral director, his blog, the appropriately titled Confessions of a Funeral Director is great, he’s starting to be featured around the ‘nets, and he has a book coming up.

So I had to jump on the Caleb Wilde bandwagon.  We’re talking about dead bodies, conquering the world, and you’ll have the chance to answer the most morbid question ever on this blog.

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We love to preach that grace is a free gift.  Anyone can have it, without cost…

…But we don’t really mean it.

Just like we say that freedom isn’t really free.  Or the free market isn’t really free.  Or there is no free lunch.  We preach that God’s grace comes free of charge…

…but our grace?  That’s another story.

Is it just me, or have we started resembling the chairmen of the Fed.  We’re the ones pulling strings, setting interest rates on grace.  We decide who deserves it and who does not.

Last week, just about everyone collectively decided that a guy named Andrew from a particular church that had disciplined him deserved grace.

But who are we sending away without grace?  Who do we say doesn’t deserve it?

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Well, they’re at it again.

Friday, we discussed a particular, unnamed church that’s now getting attention for its zeal in disciplining one of its 10,000 members.

Of course, you know this can’t be an isolated incident.

I have, right here, another church discipline contract, sent to me on the condition that the sender remain anonymous.  Apparently, sending your church discipline contract to bloggers is grounds for more church discipline.  (If you need a refresher on the contract that’s received all the attention, it’s here.)

Check it out after the break, and then let’s play a little game…

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When was the last time you got in trouble?

Most of us remember getting grounded or spanked or our car keys were taken away.  Everyone has one event when they really really got into trouble.

But have you ever been in trouble with your church?

A well known church and pastor that will remain nameless here are causing a stir because one of their members is in trouble.  And when they gave him the proverbial “spanking,” he quit the church.  And the church sent out a detailed letter to members giving instructions on how to ostracize the offender.  Yeah… You can catch up on all the details at Matthew Paul Turner’s excellent blog (including the letter sent to thousands of church members).

And virtually everyone’s reaction has been to excoriate the church.  How dare they try to “control” this guy?  What right do they have to discipline him?  What ever happened to “grace?”

Turns out, the church got it wrong.  Very wrong.  But so did all the bloggers who bristled at the church that would dare to discipline its members.

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