Embracing controversy.

We're part of stirring it up again. At a time when it would be sort of nice to just keep our head down and not cause trouble, here we are, out on a limb with a snake in one hand and a hacksaw in the other.

I'm speaking of course, of the audacity that we're showing in joining with a fast. Yes, that's right. We are causing trouble by fasting. To be sure, that's part of why one fasts - to quote the movie version of William Wallace, we're goin' to pick a fight. Of course, one sort of expects to be picking that fight with the devil himself, not the rest of the church.

You see, our dear friend Lou Engle has issued a call to a 40 day fast. The fast hasn't started yet, and already it's generating heat. For instance, someone posted an article of his a few days ago on an obscure blog and already there are nitpicky comments. Another friend told me he sent the article to a pastor friend and receive an in depth, five point rebuttal.

I'm not hunting this down, but I'm sure it's repeated a hundred times over. Of course, Lou is no stranger to controversy - he seems to leave a wake of it behind him - which is extremely odd to those of us who know him, because he's probably the most gentle person I've ever met. Perhaps it's not Lou they have a controversy with, but the call itself.

It's funny. Kelsey and I have taken (a little) heat for almost everything we've done. Certainly everything we've done of consequence.

• When we spent time in Brownsville, some frowned at us for chasing wildfire. I've only recently spent a few minutes reflecting on what a dorky statement that was! To my evangelical, agnostic or pagan readers (and I know you're out there), wildfire is a term used by pentecostal pastors to dismiss what they cannot control.
  

• When we aligned our hearts and practices with the Cinci Vineyard, our more conservative friends grew horribly concerned for our salvation. I'm only half kidding - I once took a missionary friend to the Vineyard who left furious at me for calling it church.
  

• When we left the Cinci Vineyard for IHOP, a dear friend took me out for dinner to respectfully ask if I was out of my mind, and then begged me to be careful (of what, I'm not sure).

• When we moved to DC to support the LIFE issue, we lost financial support.

• When we prayed for Terri Schiavo, I received a particularly snarky email from someone who wanted us to "let that woman die in peace". Ironically, that's what we were praying for when her husband killed her. (check the fine print on that headstone)

So, here we are.

Another day, another controversy. Fully aligned with IHOP, we're going to be leading The Call regional events. Las Vegas. Des Moines. Perhaps a city near you.

If we're not stirring it up, take our pulse...because as long as we have a pulse, I want to be in the middle of this sort of trouble.