What’s wrong with you people?

A couple of days ago, I blew up Instagram by posting this. A person who attends the church featured on the

Holy Nope episode 274 reached out to me about their service in which Miley Cyrus and Garth Brooks was sung, and the

Bible cover was kicked off the stage. He offered to answer any questions I have, and as you can see, I channeled my inner

R .C. Sproul and asked, What's wrong with you people? Which is a funny question, but also a serious question.

I'm serious. In fact, my whole channel is funny and serious. Which is no contradiction, because serious and funny are not opposites.

As Chesterton put it, funny is the opposite of not funny and nothing else. This was seriously funny.

Many voiced their reasoned disagreements, and despite me telling you guys that everything's gonna be okay, women of both genders threw a fit in the comments section decrying my lack of niceness and telling me how

I should have handled it. Assuming that he wouldn't respond to something so not nice, and insisting that I just shut down an opportunity to dialogue,

I know some of you thought you were taking an opportunity to knock me off the high horse you think I ride and look really spiritual doing it.

But the guy did end up messaging me back, and we had a whole conversation. He totally got my Sproul reference, so really, you guys need to calm down.

I asked him to please share the thought behind the service. He responded with pretty much what I expected. They do this sort of thing periodically to make church feel a little less serious and more fun.

They encourage the people to invite their unchurched friends so that they can experience Jesus in a different way than a typical

Sunday service, a way that removes the intimidation factor for people coming to a church. For those who are part of the church, it's a day to be silly and have fun.

I thanked him for sharing, and voiced some of my reasons for disagreeing with this pragmatism and this seeker -sensitive approach, telling him that it seems the question, what is

God's will for our worship, is not being seriously considered. I then pointed him to my video breakdown and treatment on the regulative principle of worship, which you may have seen, and with which he did not engage in the discussion.

His response to that was to insist upon the appropriateness of their practice with heart posture being the most important thing, and feeling the

Holy Spirit as confirmation. We ended with mutual respect and appreciation for the discussion. In fact,

I have more respect for him for not being offended by my response than I would have otherwise. So everyone freaking out because of how

I sprolled him need to realize that it's possible for men to engage one another without being nice and without being offended.

That used to be normal. I have no interest in being nice, nor does Jesus call me to be nice. To quote Zach Gares from his book,

Masculine Christianity, which you should read, Now regarding his explanation with the pragmatism and appeals to emotional experience, like I said, it's what

I expected. He never asked me a question, but sought only to state his opinion. He did not support anything he said with scripture.

He is not someone in leadership or with any influence on the way things operate, but still it was a fine conversation, and I'm sure he's a great guy.

I do pray that God convict him of the Bible's teaching regarding worship and that this church would fear

God in their services rather than play games. It is interesting that he said it's a day to be silly and have fun.

The only time similar language is used in the Bible regarding worship is when Aaron made a golden calf and the people worshipped it and it says they rose up to play.

Please stop being nice. Please stop equating niceness with love. To quote Gares once more,

Nice men are yes men in a world that needs to be told no, or nope. No one fears nice men, but nice men are full of fear.

Niceness avoids conflict and for that reason it can never overcome challenges. Nice men produce nothing of lasting value.

I will receive. Tom wins the toss, chooses to receive the Bible. Patterson back with the kick.

Oh my goodness! Is that a touchback? Nope. Mm -mm. I feel like I'm losing my mind.

Is everybody in the world blind? Please Lord give me a sign, a sign.