A Sea Of Red

Hey everyone. We released the 8th and final episode of Season 1 today. If you're interested in listening, here are the episode topics and links for each episode this season:

Stop drop and roll don't work in hell
If you've ever heard the phrase "turn or burn" or been asked if you knew where you were going when you die, this episode is for you. We talk about how we focused on fire insurance instead of a real relationship with Jesus and how that led to fear, anxiety, and a superficial salvation.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Frick you, you frickin frick
Christian cuss words! Yep. They're a thing. This week we talk about how we focused on the actual words and not the heart behind the words and how that led to our own set of approved bad words.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Roses, silver rings, and kissing dating goodbye
Purity culture. Yep. This is that episode. We talk about the five myths purity culture taught us to believe, the damage they created, and how we move forward with a better view of sex, abstinence, and purity.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Boycotts, Harry Potter, and burning CDs
Have you ever been to a cd burning service? Or were you told Harry Potter was of the devil and Disney was evil? If so, you'll fit in perfect with this episode as we look at how we created a war between the secular and the spiritual. We also talk about Metallica, Hootie & the Blowfish, Ozark, Yellowstone, Bridgerton, and all sorts of pop culture.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Lost sheep, parties, and offending our friends
We have our own language inside the Church and it's taught to us starting in youth group. But that language can be offensive to people outside the Church when they hear it. This week we talk about how the words we use to describe people outside our church can keep us from spreading the Gospel and how dangerous the labels we use can be.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Piercing belly buttons, chugging Mountain Dew, and toxic leadership
Everything in Youth Group was huge. This week had to be better than last week and we always had to one-up ourselves. That was fun - and it got a lot of kids to show up - but it led to some things we didn't mean for it to. From toxic leadership to not knowing how the Gospel applies to real life, there were some misses when it came to how we did things. This week we find the good pieces, dive into the misses, and talk about how we create a better future.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Changing churches, getting doxxed, and losing friends
If you've ever heard the phrase "turn or burn" or been asked if you knew where you were going when you die, this episode is for you. We talk about how we focused on fire insurance instead of a real relationship with Jesus and how that led to fear, anxiety, and a superficial salvation.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Rob Bell, making out in the basement, and tomatoes in fruit salad
As kids we were taught to think of things as black and white, right and wrong. But was that the best way to approach life? Was it even Biblical? In the Season 1 finale, we talk about how that was a bad lens to look at our faith through and how we can do better moving forward.

Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Jonathan Carone wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 8:47 am

Boycotts, Harry Potter, and burning CDs
Have you ever been to a cd burning service? Or were you told Harry Potter was of the devil and Disney was evil? If so, you'll fit in perfect with this episode as we look at how we created a war between the secular and the spiritual. We also talk about Metallica, Hootie & the Blowfish, Ozark, Yellowstone, Bridgerton, and all sorts of pop culture.

That was me in 1977, but with 8-tracks and LPs. I had a Hyles-Anderson pastor, and he wanted his youth group teenagers to BURN their "Devil's music." I was a brand-new Christian who months ago had gotten a 10-record Columbia Records subscription for either a dime or penny. I gave up my KISS, Aerosmith, Peter Frampton, and Jim Crocie records. I think the only one I kept was Pat Boone's.

Cedarville grad for me with the same results, CJ.

1975, out of church, surfing up and down the east coast, trying to live out the 's lyrics on the stereo. Looking back, not a very good choice

Sly Fox wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 3:59 pm Cedarville grad for me with the same results, CJ.

Sly, do you care to share what went up in "flames"? Wasn't your dad your pastor? And I know where where he went college!
My H-A pastor also wanted to burn halter tops and tube tops, but I don't know if he got any of those or not.

TH Spangler wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 6:01 pm 1975, out of church, surfing up and down the east coast, trying to live out the 's lyrics on the stereo. Looking back, not a very good choice

Yeah. East Coast surfing is cold and sucks

Purple Haize wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 8:09 pm

TH Spangler wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 6:01 pm 1975, out of church, surfing up and down the east coast, trying to live out the 's lyrics on the stereo. Looking back, not a very good choice

Yeah. East Coast surfing is cold and sucks

Especially up in Montauk.

Cider Jim wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 11:36 am

Jonathan Carone wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 8:47 am

Boycotts, Harry Potter, and burning CDs
Have you ever been to a cd burning service? Or were you told Harry Potter was of the devil and Disney was evil? If so, you'll fit in perfect with this episode as we look at how we created a war between the secular and the spiritual. We also talk about Metallica, Hootie & the Blowfish, Ozark, Yellowstone, Bridgerton, and all sorts of pop culture.

That was me in 1977, but with 8-tracks and LPs. I had a Hyles-Anderson pastor, and he wanted his youth group teenagers to BURN their "Devil's music." I was a brand-new Christian who months ago had gotten a 10-record Columbia Records subscription for either a dime or penny. I gave up my KISS, Aerosmith, Peter Frampton, and Jim Crocie records. I think the only one I kept was Pat Boone's.

There were plenty of Independent Baptist kawlages that did their damage back in the day including LBC/early LUbut less so, but none more so than Hyles to my knowledge. I went to a high school that run by church that followed Hyles (instead of God). The quality of the education was lacking. Of course the focus was no rock music, no movies, guys no long hair and girls no pants. Thankfully I boarded during the week with one of the deacon's family who didn't care about that stuff. Go figure

In less than 10 years after I graduated the youth pastor was serving life in prison for multiple counts of sexual abuse with underage girls and the pastor had an affair and divorced his wife. This was one of the big fundy megachurches back in the day. Sad.

I don’t have youth group stories, but I went to a hyper-strict, Bob Jones-sponsored Christian school from 1st to 3rd grade. My whole family went to a Michael W Smith concert and I remember my parents instructing us not to tell our teachers because that kind of music was verboten.

Heathens!

My mother also was chastised for being at a public (not affiliated with the school) soccer game in shorts.

Girls weren’t allowed to wear pants, and on field day, they had to wear culottes because of the pants/shorts rule.

I don’t think I’ve heard of culottes since.

Yeah, I went to a similar school in Kindergarten. For PE we had to wear a specific shade of blue and I guess when my parents went to the store to get them, they got a shade that was slightly off and I got "demerits" which was a piece of paper with an Indian with a broken feather for a head dress....seriously...

Also Velcro shoes were not allowed and I had a hard time changing from my dress shoes to sneakers and the kid who helped me tie my shoes was out sick so I was late for PE. Demerits for that. I was 5. What a bizarre thing.

This was around the time when LA Gear released their LA Lights sneakers, so of course we had to have them. The school made us put duct tape over the lights in our shoes.

What a bizarre world.

stokesjokes wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 9:25 pm I don’t have youth group stories, but I went to a hyper-strict, Bob Jones-sponsored Christian school from 1st to 3rd grade. My whole family went to a Michael W Smith concert and I remember my parents instructing us not to tell our teachers because that kind of music was verboten.

Same, except I went to the school k-12. Went to multiple Christian concerts I couldn't talk about at school. When I got to LU and heard people complaining about the rules, I laughed. My School wouldn't even let the LU recruiter visit!

JDUB wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 10:48 am

stokesjokes wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 9:25 pm I don’t have youth group stories, but I went to a hyper-strict, Bob Jones-sponsored Christian school from 1st to 3rd grade. My whole family went to a Michael W Smith concert and I remember my parents instructing us not to tell our teachers because that kind of music was verboten.

Same, except I went to the school k-12. Went to multiple Christian concerts I couldn't talk about at school. When I got to LU and heard people complaining about the rules, I laughed. My School wouldn't even let the LU recruiter visit!

Same here. We had a required meeting during our senior year with the "guidance counselor" (our bible/history teacher) who tried to steer each kid to Bob Jones or Pensacola. I told him I was going to Liberty and he said I might as well go to a state school. I told him I would, but my parents would only pay for me to go to a Christian college.

Not the answer he was looking for

adam42381 wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 11:06 am

JDUB wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 10:48 am

stokesjokes wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 9:25 pm I don’t have youth group stories, but I went to a hyper-strict, Bob Jones-sponsored Christian school from 1st to 3rd grade. My whole family went to a Michael W Smith concert and I remember my parents instructing us not to tell our teachers because that kind of music was verboten.

Same, except I went to the school k-12. Went to multiple Christian concerts I couldn't talk about at school. When I got to LU and heard people complaining about the rules, I laughed. My School wouldn't even let the LU recruiter visit!

Same here. We had a required meeting during our senior year with the "guidance counselor" (our bible/history teacher) who tried to steer each kid to Bob Jones or Pensacola. I told him I was going to Liberty and he said I might as well go to a state school. I told him I would, but my parents would only pay for me to go to a Christian college.

Wow, possibly the same school haha. Bob Jones and Pensacola got an hour in Chapel to preach, then promote. No one else did.

JDUB sighting!

thepostman wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:17 am Yeah, I went to a similar school in Kindergarten. For PE we had to wear a specific shade of blue and I guess when my parents went to the store to get them, they got a shade that was slightly off and I got "demerits" which was a piece of paper with an Indian with a broken feather for a head dress....seriously...

Also Velcro shoes were not allowed and I had a hard time changing from my dress shoes to sneakers and the kid who helped me tie my shoes was out sick so I was late for PE. Demerits for that. I was 5. What a bizarre thing.

Is this from an episode of The Handmaid's Tale, or...?

stokesjokes wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:29 am This was around the time when LA Gear released their LA Lights sneakers, so of course we had to have them. The school made us put duct tape over the lights in our shoes.

Good rule of thumb...no matter what it was, if it was a fad the hyper-fundies were going to make a rule against it.

stokesjokes wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:29 am This was around the time when LA Gear released their LA Lights sneakers, so of course we had to have them. The school made us put duct tape over the lights in our shoes.

For some reason one of the Christian schools I went to didn't allow jeans, pretty normal then, but for some reason they also didn't allow pants with "patch pockets", back pockets that were on the outside of the pants. So a lot of kids would wear Levi's cords and just cut the back pockets off. Dumb rules would make good people do dumb things.

How's the uniform movement going?

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog ... s-and-cons

Just John wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 10:35 pm

stokesjokes wrote: ↑April 27th, 2021, 9:29 am This was around the time when LA Gear released their LA Lights sneakers, so of course we had to have them. The school made us put duct tape over the lights in our shoes.

For some reason one of the Christian schools I went to didn't allow jeans, pretty normal then, but for some reason they also didn't allow pants with "patch pockets", back pockets that were on the outside of the pants. So a lot of kids would wear Levi's cords and just cut the back pockets off. Dumb rules would make good people do dumb things.

Yeah, that's a really odd fixation. Makes you want to question the source of this nonsense. Almost sounds fetish-driven. Or it could just another case of religious folly. Who knows?

Here's a different perspective on music. I became a believer during the MTV era. Like many from that era, we avoided most of the rock from the 80s and absorbed the rich catalog from the 70s. I listened to everything, but favored progressive. Numerous songs ranging from King Crimson's Epitaph to Styx's Man in the Wilderness genuinely express the reflective soul estranged from God. For me, that was all a part of my journey.

The guy who discipled me was a Wheaton Grad student. He defined the whole process as pre-evangelism. Others may cite Camus, Kafka, or Melville. Nevertheless, why despise the honest longings of a destitute soul searching for the light?