Ten Christian Cliches

When Christian Piatt wrote his list of 10 cliches Christians should avoid, he obviously underestimated our tendency to fall back on these trite sayings.

He quickly had to add 10 more cliches and 9 final cliches. Each cliche comes with a quick explanation of why it is often precisely the wrong thing to say. They're a good read - especially if you've had some of them said to you.

There are ones that distort God (and aren't in the bible)

"Everything happens for a reason."
"The Bible clearly says..."
"The Lord never gives someone more than they can handle"

Ones that are insensitive

"Will all our visitors please stand" (in church)
"God needed another angel" (after someone has died)

and ones we use to sound judgemental

"Are you saved?"
"___ is an abomination"

Fortunately, he also provides a list of 10 antidotes, which mostly involving being less conceited, more loving and less like a Jesus-salesman.

Top 5 of 2012

As we ring in the new year, here are your most viewed items of 2012 here on the Sycamore-Fig.

5. The dodginess of soft music and candles theology - that infers Jesus' main task is to buy us flowers and take us out on a date, and how that might be slightly weird for men to hear.

4. The filter bubble. How Google hides stuff from us and thereby alters our perception of reality. And how church probably does the same.

3. Pagan Christianity. The book which details the non-Christian origins of our church practices - which probably explains why they often contradict Jesus.

2. Reverse Jesus. One example of how we do the opposite of Jesus - and a test to see if you remember what Jesus said.

1. Jesus > Religion. The title is about the differences between Jesus and Religion - and how in each case Jesus is much greater. Perhaps we should be talking Jesus more than talking church. (People are OK with Jesus)

Hopefully 2013 is a year of being less churchy and more Jesus-like.