The World Together blog : Christian Piatt
-
My fascination with ‘Amish Mafia’
Christian Piatt
Three nights ago, I awoke to four words that portend nothing good in the family’s future. They came from sweet little Zoe, who stood by the side of my bed, staring at me through the dark with those big, four-year-old eyes.
-
Why women are the key to the church’s future
Christian Piatt
I’ll preface this piece by saying, I know I am making some broad generalizations based on gender, and that there are always exceptions to every trend. But despite that, I do think there are some cultural trends that can offer us some useful insight.
-
Engaging culture and growing faith: Religious deserts and the Canaanite woman
Christian Piatt
A friend of mine forwarded a link to a recent Huffington Post article about the most and least religious cities in the United States. Interestingly — but hardly surprising — you have to scroll waaaay down the list to find my current city of Portland, Ore.
-
Is the future of church in fantasy faith leagues?
Christian Piatt
I used to be in a fantasy league, but the fanaticism of the whole thing wore me out. The guys would gather online for an evening-long draft event, debate rules ad nauseam and haggle over trades through the wee hours. I considered myself to be a fan, but these guys had practically made, well, a religion out of fantasy sports.
-
Are the culture wars real? A case for heresy
Christian Piatt
Growing up, I heard things at camp and in youth group about how “the world” thought and acted one way, and how “we” were not like that.
-
10 antidotes to Christian clichés
Christian Piatt
This is the final in a four-part series on the overused (and often insensitively employed) phrases that plague the Christian lexicon. Though I felt like I was offering some insight into what to do instead of offering these cliches, some asked for more specificity or clarity. So in that spirit, I thought I’d offer a final list of things to do rather than pop off with these phrases that may mean little or nothing to the recipient, or worse, may cause unintended — but lasting — harm.
-
9 FINAL Christian clichés to avoid
Christian Piatt
Read article one in the series here: 10 Clichés Christians Should Never Use
-
10 MORE clichés Christians should avoid
Christian Piatt
After writing up my first list of “10 Clichés Christians Should Never Use,” some folks wrote me with other suggestions. After simmering on it for a while, I came up with a second list of 10 to supplement the first.
-
10 clichés Christians should never use
Christian Piatt
We Christians have a remarkable talent for sticking our feet in our mouths. When searching the words most commonly associated with “Christian,” the list ain’t pretty. I think part of this can be attributed to a handful of phrases that, if stricken from our vocabulary, might make us a little more tolerable. Yes, these things may mean something to you, but trust me, non-Christians don’t share your love for these tried-and-true clichés.
-
WWJB (What Would Jesus Brew)?
Christian Piatt
There’s a well-known saying, often attributed to Ben Franklin, about God and beer. I’ve even seen it on T-shirts and the like, but it turns out it’s mis-quoted. The one I see and hear is generally some derivation of “beer is evidence that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” However, on further, tireless research, I discovered this blurb from a letter penned by Franklin in Paris around 1779:
Download