church source autumn 2014

A new catalog came today. It is a typical example of what churches receive every day.

The inside cover of this catalog promises, "A comprehensive and focused selection of the best church resources available, handpicked by a team of ministry experts, representing respected Christian authors, the most widely read Bible translations and theologically solid resources for Bible study, sermon preparation, discipleship training, and personal enrichment."

Consider these words "comprehensive... handpicked... respected Christian authors... theologically solid..."

I now want you to know that this same catalog sells twelve (12) separate Duck Dynasty products and even more can be found exclusively on their website.

Available in hardcover and two separate tones of leather is The Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible." In this new NKJV family Bible, father and son Phil and Al Robertson offer fresh wisdom on Christian values, what the Bible has to say about them, and how everyday people can apply them to their lives. Includes 30 testimonials and a personal welcome note from Phil and Al Robertson."

A Duck Dynasty series on "living five values from the parables of Jesus" includes a "bonus Willie's Redneck Rodeo VBS curriculum."

On the facing page you can order Jesus Prom which has a picture of a disco mirror ball on the cover. The description is truly too bizarre to believe. It ends with these two sentences "We impersonate [Jesus'] every move. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, Jesus should be flattered by the actions of his Church." Despite the force of this statement, I actually do wonder how flattered Jesus really is by the Jesus Prom DVD study series and softcover leader's guide.

A two page spread sells a video-based course called "Emotionally Healthy...." The three versions are "Emotionally Healthy SPIRITUALITY", "The Emotionally Healthy CHURCH" and "The Emotionally Healthy WOMAN." As I've observed before, I am concerned that the first two variations present themselves as gender neutral, with the category of woman representing the only acknowledgment of gender. To me it suggests that spirituality and church are topics completely different from woman.
The 8 session titles for the Emotionally Healthy Woman are:
1. Quit Being Afraid of What Others Think
2. Quit Lying
3. Quit Dying to the Wrong Things
4. Quit Denying Anger, Sadness, and Fear
5. Quit Blaming
6. Quit Overfunctioning
7. Quit Faulty Thinking
8. Quit Living Someone Else's Life
Apparently, if there is one thing that every woman (as opposed to a normal person) needs to hear repeated eight times, it's quit it!

You can also buy a DVD series titled How To Be Rich.

Finally, there is a two page spread of marriage resources under the headline, "What If You Could Fail-Proof The Marriages In Your Church?"

The first product advertised is titled, "Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts."
The second is titled, "Saving Your Second Marriage Before It Starts."

(100% free shipping)