Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Jesus Loves Porn Stars
Title snag your attention? That’s the intent.
Before I get into that topic, a few bits of housekeeping. As you all have seen, this blog is under a major reconstruction. Cool-looking new header logo, a look to go with my Web site, etc. However, the glitches are taking time to work out. They’re a bit distracting, but at least the posts are readable. Thanks for hangin’ with me through this transition.
I’m putting off my discussion of Travis Trasher’s novel, Admission, and his interview until the work on this new blog look is complete. I’m hoping it’ll be tomorrow.
For today—where will you find the phrase Jesus Loves Porn Stars? On the cover of a new Bible being published by NavPress.
According to an article in the latest issue of Christian Retailing, the publisher is joining with the XXX Church, a ministry aimed at spreading the Gospel to those involved in adult entertainment. The Bible will be passed out to these folks at events within their industry.
Kent Wilson, NavPress executive publisher, said, “If people caught up in . . . pornography can only be reached by a bold but compassionate message of the love of God, we’re willing to do that for the sake of reaching them . . .”
These bibles—using The Message translation—will be passed out during the Erotica LA show this month and an Expo for adult entertainment in Las Vegas next January. This is the XXX Church’s fourth year with a booth at these shows.
When XXX first approached NavPress with the idea for the bibles, the publisher was excited. Then they heard the title. Their smiles faded. “No one has ever put that on a Bible before,” Wilson said. “But our minds flashed back to the words of Jesus Himself, and we quickly realized that Jesus probably would have loved that phrase. After all, He acted ‘cozy with crooks and riff-raff’ (Matthew 9:11, The Message), and He was accused by the best religious people: ‘He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends’ (Luke 15:2).
“Jesus does love porn stars and sinners and crooks, and Christian guys who look good on Sunday but pollute themselves on a diet of porn during the week,” Wilson added.
Both Zondervan and Thomas Nelson also offered to print the bibles, but logistics and pricing could not be worked out with those companies. NavPress ended up the best fit for the project.
“People love good news, and people take Bibles like crazy,” Craig Gross, pastor and one of the founders of XXX Church, said. “It’s free and it’s a Bible—two things they don’t think they would hear at a porn show.”
Reactions, BGs?
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18 comments:
My reaction is positive! The church that I minister through was a Mission before we became a church.
These are the kind of people we have always ministered amoung. It is not a surprising sight to see bags of cocaine or bottles of booze left at the altar...and porn stars...we've had our share.
We have a saying at our church, "Minister to those that nobody wants, and God will send you the workers that everybody wants!"
Woah, that guy's pretty angry. I didn't even have my coffee and I'm wide awake. Lord, I pray for that man. May you open his eyes to the truth and loose Satan's hold on him. Jesus also loves angry foul mouths.
(I'm guessing you'll remove that post before mine in which case mine won't make much sense.)
Navpress is awesome for putting out those books and God bless that ministry for being bold and reaching into the darkness.
The title will certainly catch attention as your blog title already has. I have a blog about DaVinci's Last Supper--concentrating on the work of art, not the code. I have more hits on that than anything else. I also did one titled Does God Love the Atheist? Again more hits. Some of them are like your anonymous comment. Leading me to post: DaVinci DaChoice, saying that I choose not to be anonymous in my faith. Yes, Gina, we need to pray for these guys/gals. They are angry and will probably be angrier when we tell them God loves them, too.
Jesus loves you and me.
And until we accept that - our lives are swirling out of control and full of pain that we attempt to sedate with whatever works at the moment.
What a great thing NavPress and the XXX church is doing. I'm all for it! So often we as Christians are content to stay in our little church buildings preaching to each other, when Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the good news--that God loves the world.
Fortunately, for us, Jesus does love porn stars and murderers, thieves, self-righteous Christians, and angry hurt people who like to lump all Christians in together.
I pray what they’re doing is going to have a huge impact. Most of the people involved in adult entertainment have been hurt or abandoned and desperately need to feel Jesus’ love.
It’s a very edgy way to do it, but if it works PTL.
So many of us are afraid of those who are different. We also forget that our primary mission is to love each other. We don't condone each other's sins, to be sure. But we shouldn't turn our backs because a brother or sister is under Satan's attack. In love, we should stand beside them and fight back. Right?
I deleted the anonymous commenter's angry rant that
Gina and others refer to, but that was a mistake. What I meant to do was simply edit out the four-letter words and allow the rest to stand. After all, the guy's response is the way he feels. Yeah, he's mad. Defensive. But this is nothing new. Lots of people get mighty angry at Jesus' radical statements. This is our world--the world the Bible is meant for. And frankly, I see through the guy's anger to a whole lot of hurt beneath it.
Anonymous, should you return, you're welcome to re-comment, but I'll insist on keeping it in prime-time language.
wow! See what happens when I'm asleep! I missed it all! That's it...I'm staying a wake from now on!
Oh, Brandilyn...The template looks FABULOUS. I see that cutting off the extra words in the Suscribe box shoved everything where it belongs! Cudos to your programmer!
I'd read about this earlier in Christian Retailing. I think it's a bold, compassionate idea.
Speaking of titles, I noticed the title of the third Kanner Lake book on the new website - announced without much fanfare. Or is "Crimson Eve" not definitely the title? I noticed when you mouse over the title the info box says "Crimson Dusk." :) Still hoping for that one.
Great title, awesome way to spread that Jesus loves us.
An interesting but scary fact recenty put out by Promise Keepers is that an astounding 70 percent or more of Christian men and Leadership. . pastors, you name it are caught up in pornography themselves.
It would be awesome if Christians themselves could get the message!
I wonder what we could call a Bible written for Christian men. . .Jesus Frees maybe? I dunno
The xxxchurch and the "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" are catchy.
There are a bunch of people in the porn biz and millions of porn fans who love God and feel God's love for them. I think it's OK for Christians to enjoy porn.
I know the Bible says lust is a sin. The Bible is wrong.
>I know the Bible says lust is a sin. The Bible is wrong.<
Interesting belief. Of course, it's also that same Bible that tells us about God's love. So one part of the Bible is truth and another is not? If the Bible is not Absolute Truth, then who's to decide what part is true and what part is not? If we're all left to decide that for ourselves, then we have no need for God in the first place, for we, ourselves, become the gods of our own redemption, determining our own way to Truth.
Brandilyn, you rock. Go, girl!
I'm a big supporter of NavPress's attempt to reach this group of people. Sadly, this kind of bold move will always bring criticism and much of it from our own Christian family. The need to minister to both believers and unbelievers exists as we strive to accept others with Christlike love. I wonder what part of Jesus's dying for the lost is... well, lost on all of us?
And then again, topics like this will always bring out those who just want a debate and a reaction to strong statements. But He works all things together for His good and for that we can PTL.
I agree with Shelley R...you rock Brandilyn! Greatly annointed words!
I like to say, "If everybody gets to take out the parts of the Bible that they don't agree with, pretty soon all we have left is the covers and the maps!"
Love the new look, Brandilyn! Very cool. And so consistent with all your other media and materials. You make this advertising gal proud. LOL!
I love the idea of this Bible. Wish there was one that said Jesus Loves Atheists. That would rock, too, cuz I love my atheist hubby tons. God's love does not discriminate, so neither should we.
What a wonderful idea! Pornography is increasing in our churches and on our streets! YAHOO for those willing to go out and pound the pavement as Jesus would do.
I thought I'd say yes God loves everybody that is why he sent his son to die on the cross for us. The thing is people claim to be christians when they don't even try to act like one. If an American goes to Spain everyone can tell their an American by the way they walk talk and act.This makes them anAmerican Citizen by being one. No matter where you go can someone tell you are a Christian by the way you act talk walk act and dress without you telling them? If poeple can't you have a problem. Do you still have your Citizenship of the kindom of heaven or do you not? If you don't act talk walk dress like a Christian you don't still have that citizenship to heaven until you do start to do so. Being a chrictian doesn't mean you can be baptized and your saved. You have to continue as jesus once said repent and be baptized in my name and go preach the news to all the world. he doesn't just mean oh I need to preach they need to be baptized he means that you need to show by example and also teach more then that but all jesus agrees with or disagrees with and right from wrong. Look at what the pharasee's tried to do by being baptized just for the attention or cause they want to think they are saved but not change a thing bout themselves. Christianity is about change. There is no arguing with God. If you disagree with what God says and say he is wrong you are no Christian. You are one however if you try your hardest to be one and follow as an example as jesus wants us to. Preach the truth not let it slip by. It is our duty as christians! If we let it slip by the world will become like sodom and gomora and with be the end. No body wants that! remember what that city was destroyed for? All that we are arguing right now plus sex out side marriage and homosexuality. If you can't control these thing with yourself most of the time you are no christian.You can't just believe whatever just cause you don't want to admit others you care about aren't gonna make it cause of these things you are showing these things are ok when God says it isn't and letting them slip further away. We need to do our duty as Christians unless we don't care and want to let the world perish.
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