What are we teaching?

You get one or two free sins every day.

After you've used up all your free sins for the day you start a sin-debt. You can earn forgiveness from those sins. Going to church will get you three sins forgiven. If you go to sleep in church you only get one sin forgiven. If you get something out of the message you get a fourth sin forgiven.

Just plan ahead. Remember - secret sins don't count. As long as its done in private it's not really a sin. It's only the public sins that are really bad. Jesus had lengthy sermons on "avoiding the appearance of evil" and the necessity to avoid sinners at all costs.

What? What? What?

I was watching an SNL re-run from the 70s. It was a mock interview with a halloween costume supplier who had come under fire for some unsafe costumes. The interviewer would show why the costume was unsafe and then the supplier would give a few technicalities to get by. Johnny Space Costume was a plastic bag and a rubber band to be worn over the kids face. Johnny Invisibly Pedestrian was an all black outfit. (He countered that the costume had a very clear warning that it was not for blind kids.) The final costume was a Johnny Fire Suit - oily rags and a lighter.

He wouldn't budge on any of the costumes no matter how dangerous they were.

I see a church that's a little afraid to admit failure. We teach a message different than what we believe. We believe in a gospel of grace - but people can abuse it so we will give them some guidelines.

I believe in a scandalous grace. One where everyone gets at least 6 free sins every day.