...as opposed to Christ centered living as a catalyst to a better you.

And I'm not saying this is true of all pastors of course. There's a lot, including yourself, that are doing some great things - but just like rap - allowing the least among us, but those who know how to pander and have media savvy to shine, does a great disservice.

>I know that some folks have an issue with the plane thing but
>it's not like folks are taking it for a spin around the city
>to front. Cost can be a factor and the pastor could be
>offsetting the cost by using the plane as a paid private
>transport service when it's not in use.

Ehh. I've worked in multi-billion dollar firms before and none of the managing partners or CEOs flew private - and they were going all around the country/world. This seems like a marketing ploy to me.

>Race shouldn't be a factor. The core motivation should all be
>Christ Centered and not ego or culture driven.

I gotta stop you there. I guess in context of talking about our people, we're the ones most greatly affected because we're the ones by and large doing most of the giving with the least to give. Mainstream Black culture and the Black Church are still heavily intertwined. There probably wouldn't have been much of a Civil Rights Movement without the Black Church...and even today, if you want influence in the Black community, the best way to do it is by being a reverend. Race definitely plays a factor when discussing organized religion and "us".

>Here's the rub, what are Christians all about? Folks think
>that being a Christian is about minimalism - it's not. It's
>about living an abundant life. It's about Loving God, loving
>your neighbor, caring for each other and the earth as we care
>for our won bodies.

No one is saying being a pauper - God knows what we want, but I would think as a Christian you want the spirit of Christ to radiate through what you do and be a ministry to others. God wants our lives to be abundant, but in that are we showing the spirit of Christ by begging for planes or driving Bentleys when your congregation lives in squalor? *ahem* Jamal Bryant *ahem* That's not being a testimony. Taking care of your people and bettering your community is.

>Some aren't but many are just trying to stay in their lane
>because it's hard enough to keep your own church in order as
>it is.

Can't argue with that.