As I’m perusing my Facebook news feed this morning…something I am addicted…err, prone to do…this catchy, snappy post caught my attention: “Ha ha! I’m still alive! So I’ll go ahead and share the Gospel. Thanks Lord.” Turns out it was Pete J. Courson…son of the Courson Tribe…Celebrity Guru Status in the Calvary Chapel “Non” Denomination with tentacles all over the planet.
First off, I have no personal beef with Peter J. or his pops, John. While they seem to be typical Celebrity Gurus in Evangelicalism and still under the general Tent of Calvary Chapel…they don’t seem to be particularly dooshy like others of their “associated” or non-associated brethren. In fact, Pete seems a good guy in general…my one criticism being that he seems to like the adulation of being a mini-Celebrity quite a bit. I have followed him for awhile online…and while he tries to say he doesn’t like celebrity or promote celebrity…he engages in the same Dynamic that perpetuates it and doesn’t instruct others otherwise.
What I witnessed this morning is very typical….and I’m only singling out Pete because it is a fresh example and prompted the “holy spirit” in me to speak up…or maybe it’s the devil or the demons since my enemies say I’m the Anti-Christ…who knows. It’s probably just me being me, which is a critical thinker who has a very acute bullshit meter…especially when it comes to “religion” and “church” in today’s Evangelical Sub-culture.
Celebrity pastor-kid has some health issues, legit stuff, not funny…we all do or will someday…none of us are getting off this rock alive. Celebrity pastor-kid takes some sort of leave to deal with the health issues….folks in droves express their blessings and prayers and kiss his ass in a fashion only seen on par when it is a sports hero or movie star or a Kardashian. Celebrity pastor-kid has some sort of “miraculous” comeback and makes a simple post on Facebook….and then the Ass-kiss-pocalypse ensues.
It was truly amazing to watch…and I’m sure it will go on all day.
What is “the Gospel” of mainstream Evangelicalism in the USA today? It’s a Celebrity-driven, “Ministry” driven Gospel and resembles nothing I see of the example of Jesus in the Newer Testament. Not speaking against this perverse Dynamic is supporting the perpetuation of this perverse Dynamic.
Here’s the very beginning of the avalanche…and the point is this…if it was some guy you never heard of who attended and gave and served at that church his whole life but never got the spotlight and just did his thing quietly for Jesus…you’d never have known he had a health crisis…and you’d never have known if he recovered….and you NEVER would see this sort of adulation and support. THAT is your Celebrity-driven Evangelical “Gospel”…a big part of it.
Ha ha! I’m still alive! So I’ll go ahead and share the Gospel. Thanks Lord.