![]() Disclaimer: I was originally going to just post excerpts from the original chapter but there was no way I could trim it down without ruining the context. So, now I am going to give you the random thoughts that are on my mind. Buckle up! This could be a wild one take! Clearly Jesus thought it was slightly important that the church be founded. But when Jesus laid the foundations for the church he did not roll in the cement trucks and contract a building company to build really cool looking structures that will guard the Gospel message from ever leaking out into the world. Of course not, can you imagine Jesus trying to get his 12 original Church board members to agree on the sanctuary carpet color or the size of Jesus’ new office? Christ started building the church with people. And this might be a shock to you, but just like today, those people were not perfect. The church can simply be defined as “the fellowship of the believers.” How that is supposed to materialize itself in our eyes has been continuously debated since the Church’s beginning with the likes of the Apostle’s Paul and Peter to the modern times 2000 years later between probably every church pastor who thinks they have Acts 2 all figured out. So, who are the believers? Well, I am glad you asked. They can easily be found being pulled over by cops for speeding to church every Sunday. They are often described as conservative Republicans who are anti-Abortion, anti-homosexual, anti-immigration, anti-drinking, anti-sex, anti-environment, anti-tippers, anti-Harry Potter and anti-fun in general. While also being pro-gun, pro-life, pro-homeschooling, pro-Fox News, pro-buffet eating, pro-Left Behind series, pro-gossip and generally split down the middle as to whether they like Joel Osteen or not. I am just kidding, I am not a big fan of the Left Behind series and I tend to be pro FUN. But how many times have you seen stereotypical descriptions like this? Regardless of where you are on the spectrum of belief, one thing I do know; and that is “Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And NO ONE can get to heaven without first believing and calling on His name first (John 14:6 and Romans 10:13 paraphrased).” I firmly believe that church was/is an institution created by God for “believers” to come together in community and grow in their faith and also be strengthened mentally and physically by the encouragement and support of others who are on the same spiritual journey. However, I am not sure a lot of people get these basic needs met between the hours of 10am and noon on a Sunday. Over the years, the church has become a source of controversy and conflict. The noise from these many ongoing battles have reached a fever pitch and can be heard loud in clear outside the concrete walls. And the message seems clear to a world in need of hope; “GO AWAY! WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU.HERE.” The hypocrisy and confusion has led to a mass exodus of people who can’t reach the church exits fast enough. The heartbreak and disappointment felt by so many once faithful church goers is real and is now starting to garnish legitimate attention from church leaders who finally will admit that there might be a slight problem. But the fight over how to combat these many problems have become even more disheartening and divisive. So, it is in the midst of this epic quagmire we set the stage for Church Girl and Church Guy to figure this out and so much more.
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![]() It was almost ten years ago when I felt inspired as a younger man to write a book. But I couldn't decide on what. I feel like the most popular writing topics of the time were about Church (or church bashing) and relationships. I personally felt like I had a pretty strong and developed opinion about both. After all, I read the Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren and also trudged through I Kissed Dating Good Bye (and the sequel) by Joshua Harris (Yes, I know these are oldies now). So, why not combine both worlds? Hence the idea of I AM SCARED OF CHURCH GIRLS began. The book was meant to be and light and comical tool to view the many issues, struggles and humor that is involved in the world of Church and "Christian Dating." And the main examples were going to be me and my friends. To my surprise there were a few publishers interested and I was excited as the manuscript took form. However, the closer the release date came the more nervous I became to release this book. One reason being was the critical and controversial nature of some of the church points. Two, the not so Kosher way I bluntly explain taboo topics (I did not want to offend a conservative audience). And Three, I am convinced no girl would ever want to date a guy with a book out there like this exposing all my secrets and ridiculous experiences. So, here I am years later, I am cranky and not so concerned about offending people and YES, I am still single. So, I guess there is nothing to be afraid of now, therefore, here we go again. I AM SCARED OF CHURCH GIRLS- TAKE 2!!! I am posting the original Table of Contents in the book and in this blog I will be rewriting a fresh take on each chapter subject. Let's see what I have learned in the last ten years of singleness. Have fun! Table of Contents Introduction: How this all came about and how the chapters work Section 1: Welcome to Church (Who are the Characters?) Chapter 1 What is the church? Chapter 2 What does a church girl look like? Chapter 3 What does a church guy look like? Chapter 4 What does a church family look like? Section 2: Relationships (How Christians interact with each other and the world) Chapter 5 Why are relationships such a big deal? Chapter 6 Why is getting along so hard? Chapter 7 Who is my enemy? Chapter 8 Who is my neighbor? Section 3: Dating (Hopeless scenario… I have no clue what to tell you) Chapter 9 What is dating? Chapter 10 When is a good time to date? Chapter 11 Who should you date? Chapter 12 Where should you find a date? Chapter 13 Why should you date? Chapter 14 How do you know he/she is the one? Section 4: Awkward (How does the church handle sexual issues?) Chapter 15 What is the big deal about sex? Chapter 16 How should sex education work? Chapter 17 How can one really handle lust? Chapter 18 How far is too far? Chapter 19 How does homosexuality fit into things? Section 5: Marriage and Family (What do I know about families?) Chapter 20 What is Marriage? Chapter 21 Are interracial marriages a big deal? Chapter 22 What happened to arranged marriages? Chapter 23 What happened to marriages and families in general? Chapter 24 What do you do with the kids? Chapter 25 What happens if you don’t get married? Section 6: Conclusion (My ideal church and girl) Chapter 26 What does my ideal girl look like? Chapter 27 What does my ideal Church look like? Chapter 28 What does my ideal Christian life look like? Chapter 29 Is there any hope? |
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LUKE R ELIE Archives
February 2021
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