Jon Acuff's Blog, page 170

Recently, at an airport, I saw an article about a church on the cover of Details Magazine. Since I believe this was the first church-related article they've done since 1981, I was surprised. The headline was:

"The hottest pickup spot in Hollywood … is a church."

Turns out they did an expose on Reality LA, a growing church out in California. It's apparently, according to Details Magazine, a great place to meet singles. It made me interested though, how come we haven't talked much about church...

(I've never met Jay Bakker, the son of Jim and Tammy Faye, but from all reports, he's a really solid guy. He's got a thriving ministry up north and apparently does some awesome work. I probably could have met him when I was a kid, but I was too obsessed with the water park his parents built. Part of the PTL complex, that water park was one of the most amazing places I've ever been. As a kid, that honestly was one of the greatest days of my life. I loved that thing. I hate that there was...

Now that I live in Nashville, my exposure to mandolins has increased by about 1,000%. Growing up in Massachusetts, I heard the mandolin (which is like a Pomeranian sized guitar) probably only one time. That instrument for me was like a musical Sasquatch. I knew it was attracted to campfires and wooden festival like scenery but I never actually saw it.

In Nashville? The gutters are lined with mandolins. In the morning before I go to work, I have to shovel the mandolins out of my driveway. In...

Before I speak I enter a near catatonic zone of concentration and Norwegian music.

I say Norwegian music, because lately Royskopp's "Triumphant" has been my "Eye of the Tiger 2.0." It used to be "War" by 30 Seconds to Mars and is sometimes, "New Morning" by Alpha Rev.

Speaking is fairly new to me and listening to songs that sound like auditory push ups helps. Soon, I'm doing some brand new comedy at a Dave Ramsey Live event. I've got 7 minutes to absolutely guffaw 3,000-5,000 people. Just...

A few weeks ago I ran into the lead singer of Paramore, Hayley Williams, while I was grabbing a coffee.

When I tweeted that, people asked, "What did you say to her?"

What did I say? Nothing. Had I said hello, that moment would have instantly dissolved into the interviews Chris Farley used to do where he would ask painfully awkward, obvious questions on Saturday Night Live. (Example: He said something to Paul McCartney like, "Remember when you were in the Beatles? That was awesome!)

The other...

"We've assigned someone to help you if your book signing line gets too long or out of control."

That's what one of the staff members told me at the Assemblies of God Influence Conference in Springfield, Missouri last week. And my first thought was,

"That is adorable."

They were apparently not familiar with my Catalyst meet and greet, which was as successful as a relationship started on the show, "The Bachelor." (They should do the engagement and the breakup shows on the same night to save...

When I travel, when I connect with people online, when I talk with friends, these two words keep coming up.

And they're pretty normal words. This is no deep theory, just something I am running into over and over again. Simply put, when I talk to people about what they do in life, they often respond:

"I'm _____, but ______."

When they describe where they work or what they do, they say:

"I'm an accountant, but I want to be a painter."

"I'm a teacher, but I want to be a doctor."

"I'm a project...

As many of you know, last November we all pulled together and raised $30,000 in 18 hours to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. Realizing we weren't done, we doubled down and raised $60,000 to build two kindergartens in Vietnam. (You can read the whole story here.) That we did this through a blog about humor with thousands of people from around the world who will probably never visit Vietnam or know this children blew me away. God is big and crazy and good.

Construction on the school is...

(Curtis is like the Run DMC of Stuff Christians Like guest posts. He was one of the first people to guest post almost 2 years ago and he still knocks it out. I love this post and think you'll laugh too. Enjoy!)

Thinking the Rapture Has Happened When You're Alone

"The Son has come and you've been left behind."

-DC Talk

As I sit here writing this in my office on a Monday morning, I'm kind of wondering is this has actually happened. Fact: Monday mornings at a church can be a lonely place. It's like ...

Last week, a pastor told a congregation of around 10,000 people that he would destroy me.

This made me nervous for three reasons:

1. This pastor is from Texas, a state I rarely mess with.

2. This pastor has the wingspan of a pterodactyl.

3. He's close friends with John Piper and I'm afraid of that guy too.

Who was it that from the pulpit proclaimed his ability to destroy me?

It was Matt Chandler of the Village Church.

And it wasn't nearly as bad as it sounds. He actually said some incredibly kind...