The Church and the LGBT Community: Is There A Way Forward?

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

Back in 2008, the LEO, Louisville’s weekly “alternative” newspaper, did a story about Sojourn Church, where I serve as one of the pastors. It opened with the line, “They’re young, involved, and socially aware ––– and think being gay is a sin; How does Sojourn Church square its progressive image with some of its more regressive ideas.”

The article caused a relatively big stir in the community. At the time, we were running an art gallery and music venue called The 930 Arts Center, and angry readers of the LEO began actively petitioning artists and musicians that were booked at the venue, warning them that we were fundamentalist wolves in progressive sheeps’ clothing. Many artists continued with their bookings, but many turned away. The music venue, soon after, stopped hosting shows.

All of this came back to mind this week with the announcement of Brendan Eich’s forced resignation as CEO of Mozilla Corp., a silicon-valley tech company that’s known for the Firefox web browser. Eich was forced out after it was revealed that he donated $1,000 to a political campaign in support of Prop 8, California’s referendum to ban gay marriage.

Donald Miller and the Culture of Contemporary Worship

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

This week, on his Storyline blog, Donald Miller announced that he doesn't attend church these days. Almost immediately, folks began to respond, citing the many Biblical, cultural, and historical reasons why Miller's post is problematic. Miller responded to these today, but his response doesn't add much to the conversation; he simply doubles down. I don't want to pile on to these criticisms, but instead wanted to come alongside them with a couple of additional observations.

Creation, Culture, Redemption, and Hip Hop: A Response to the NCFIC Panel

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

Mike Cosper responds to the NCFIC panel video, which condemned Christian Hip Hop. Cosper argues that the panelists misunderstand creation, culture, and redemption.

Masculine Bravado

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

Last week, a few days apart from one another, I came across two poems. The first, by former poet laureate Billy Collins, hints at many of the themes in the second, a much-shared video of Lily Myers reciting "Shrinking Women" at a poetry slam.

Myers' poem paints a picture of masculine dominance - how the men in her family are fearless about their presence, their desires, and their size, while the women are constantly shrinking back, both physically and socially.

Collins notes a woman cowering in the presence of an angry man, and wonders if this isn't why Amazon-like women who are discovered on foreign planets in sci-fi films are always so strong, so hostile, and so well-armored.

Sin and the Whole Gospel: Three Aspects to Sin

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

In January, Crossway Books published Faithmapping: A Gospel Atlas for Your Spiritual Journey. In it, Daniel Montgomery and I unpack a vision for how the Whole Gospel creates a Whole Church on mission for the Whole World.

Lately, I’ve been reflecting more on our vision for the Whole Gospel – which, many will recognize – is a variation on the tri-perspectival view of the gospel articulated by John Frame and Tim Keller. (Indeed, in the introduction toFaithmapping, we make mention of the fact that we see ourselves as “Keller for Dummies.”) The Gospel can be seen in three aspects: The gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of the Cross, and the gospel of grace. These three ideas are used interchangeably in the New Testament, each concept deepens and enriches the others.

The Bono Effect and Corporate Worship

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

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Ash Wednesday, Criticism, and The Fear of Death

Mike Cosper May 24, 2016

For several years, we’ve observed this day here at Sojourn, and it’s been one of the more meaningful worship services that I attend each year. We huddle in the dark pre-dawn, reading from the scriptures, singing laments, confessing our sins, and confronting death. We mark our foreheads with ashes, reminding one another, “From dust you were made, to dust you shall return.” It’s not a sacrament. It’s not any kind of magical hocus-pocus. It’s simply a regular, tactile, and solemn way to remember the looming reality of death as we prepare for the celebration of resurrection at Easter.

Mike Cosper

Pastor of Worship & Arts at Sojourn Community Church