http://root48.wordpress.com/2008/03/04/redefining-faith/ 

At one point I defined faith by doctrine - believing the right thing.  At other times I have defined faith by spiritual formation - the extent to which my life was changed by Jesus.  I am coming around to defining faith by what I pass along to someone else. 

Does it really matter how much there is between Jesus and I if it does not make a difference for someone who does not know him?  Jesus was obsessed with the sinners, not the righteous.  He said he'd leave the 99 if it meant reclaiming one that was lost.  If we put an obsession for lost people on the forefront of our faith, I believe the doctrine and formation will be obtained as means to that end. 

http://root48.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/unlearning/

It seems that God takes us through a process of unlearning before new learning takes place. Moses for example had to unlearn violent leadership before learning how to shepherd Israel to the promised land. In the book of Acts, we find Peter and the rest of the first generation Jewish believers unlearning Gentile exclusion before they learned to spread the gospel across the Roman Empire. Paul constantly struggled to bring unlearning of legalism before learning of the freedom in Christ could take place.

I am no prophet, but it seems as though Jesus is stirring at least two major issues of unlearning in mass amongst his followers: 1) separation from and belittling toward the poor, and 2) dependence on Sunday morning.

http://root48.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/oprahtology/

Just read an article by Warren Smith.  Although he seems to struggle with fundamentalist paranoia, he offered many great insights into how Oprah may be shaping the spirituality of the western world.  

For better or for worse, Oprah is a key figure in shaping western culture - what she is saying on spiritual things is bound to set in.  The church needs to be aware of these changes in the audience they too hope to reach.

Oprah's has recently offered A Course in Miracles via Oprah and Friends XM Radio. Those who finish the course of 365 daily soundbites will have a heavy dose of a spiritual worldviews in which there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is "in" everyone and everything.  For example, Lesson #29 asks you to go through your day affirming that "God is in everything I see." Lesson #61 tells each person to repeat the affirmation "I am the light of the world." Lesson #70 teaches the student to say and believe "My salvation comes from me."

Advocates of A Course in Miracles say it is quickly becoming the New Age Bible.  The teachings have a blatantly universalism bent on Christianity.  The course originated with Helen Schucman, was reinvented by Marianne Williamson, and was elevated to a New York Times bestseller and beyond by Oprah.

Other teachings within their literature include:

• "There is no sin. . . "
•  A "slain Christ has no meaning."
• "The journey to the cross should be the last ‘useless journey."
• "Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross.'"
• "The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."
• "God is in everything I see."
• "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
• "The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power."
• "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."

I believe evangelical conversations going forward will need to incorporate more New Age terminology.  Our message does not change, but we run the risk of being unintelligible if we don't use words that are in vogue amongst spiritual seekers.  Talk about their Creator, ask when they have experienced God inside of the them, how are they seeking to restore oness with God and the world?  Oprahtology is more widespread amongst those we seek to influence than our Christian subculture cares to recognize.