So, if Banksy or Shep Fairey start slipping POTSC in their work is it at the height of scandalous or does it tip it to a movement?

As I read this post I am very encouraged and challenged to have this same desire. This has always been the beat of my heart since I have been a Christian. At times I wonder what that looks like in my setting as I am a Minister of Youth and Young Adults at church. As you have said in your post most people want to avoid being associated with a scandal instead they want to be associated with something that is nice, clean, and orderly. Most want to avoid the messy, the outcasts, the misfits and people definitely want in many cases to avoid failure. My desire is to be minister in which I have open arms to people that might have been pushed to the side or looked down upon. When I read your first line that a movement is popular but a scandal is blasphemous it made me stop in my tracts because I automatically thought, “Blasphemous? Isn't that something against God? Why would you want that?” However, I try to be slow to jump to conclusions or make assumptions so I actually looked up what the definition of blasphemous meant (yeah I know that is is kind of dorky ) What blasphemous means is: BLASPHEMY (noun)
The noun BLASPHEMY has 2 senses:
1. blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)
2. blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character
Now it is obvious from your heart for God and your heart for other that you do not wish express disrespect for God. So that made me move to the next part which was expressing disrespect for something sacred. Now obviously I don't know if this is exactly how you meant it but as I read that it stuck out to me right away. I think there are many things that we in the church have made into “sacred cows” that do not belong. That we have held onto the popular, safe, comfortable, sacred cows for so long that it is no longer effective but most of all no longer God honoring. So in that same respect I desire to show disrespect to things that are just “sacred” because that is how it always has been or is the popular choice. May God continue to bless your ministry and may you also pray for me. Many times it is a struggle to know how as a minister to youth and young adults I am able to encourage them to want to be a part of a scandal not a movement in the midst of many parents wanting their children to stay as far away from a scandal as possible and as close to comfort and predictability as they can.

ive always looked at banksy and shep as scandalous in what they do. its why i like them

yes, to clarify, the blasphemous piece of what im talking about is the sacred nature of the word….not being against God

That is totally what I figured so I thought it would be wise just to bring it up before you got 20 messages complaining that you told people to be blasphemous in the wrong way. Love what you guys do and who you do it for!

personally, I believe we as Christ followed are all part of THE movement..that is the movement to beautify the kingdom at hand. Everything else can be categorized as EFFORTS toward that end.. scandalous.. radical..counter cultural… the fact that these efforts are part of the greater movement automatically associate them
in the scandal of the beautification process….

So that the efforts of Junky Car Club, Gifts of Water, Compassion or a simple gesture of love and grace from a kingdom minded individual become part of this scandalous plan to make something happen… something better than what we see as status quo.

if there was ever someone who led a scandal, it certainly would be jesus.

though the reality is many things can be interpreted as against God which are actually for God. so i guess you could say there is a little bit of truth in the first meaning too

Mike, I will have to think some on your question. I don't think I have seen movements as you described above, but I can see how people might see that.

I am a little confused though, but I am guessing that you and POTSC are in the process of growing and redefining. When I saw your tweet this week I thought, “Isn't POTSC a movement?” In the video What Is People of the Second Chance? you describe it as a scandalous movement of radical grace in life and leadership. Even in that definition you have brought both elements together. I am processing as I write, but I guess where I am falling is seeing two different types of movements and I want to be a part of a scandalous movement that changes lives, not a _____ movement (popular, organized, professional, cultured, politically correct, success driven, image conscious, etc.) that makes a statement but doesn't lead to transformation. Part of that might depend on the object of the movement, and I don't know how you loose with radical grace.

No matter what term you use, I am happy to be a part of POTSC!

One look at any paper shows that scandals are what stick out. Things we can look at and wonder “what were they thinking?” Extreme acts of grace ellicit that kind of thinking, with the result that God is glorified, instead of a politician shamed.

I simply have to throw this very honest question out there. You don't want to be a movement but yet you are pulling for people to join the Facebook page and giving away prizes?
Not against it but just asking.

good question ben…i guess to clarify its not that we dont want to encourage people to be a part of POTSC(we really do cuz we love it), its more about what people are actually joining. im just more convinced that what is in our DNA and what i personally desire to be a part of is more scandal then movement oriented. hope that helps

i think you nailed it with the statement “what were they thinking?”

glad youre a part of it too sherie….and you can call it whatever you want

Completely understand, thanks for clarifying.

I think we worry too much about play on words in America. We are always looking for a different angle to market what we have to offer, including Jesus, so we spent mental and physical cycles on things like this.

Having said that…Do we really think that God really cares if it's a movement or scandal? I also don't believe Jesus was scandalous at all, he simply shown how to live and the way to eternal life with God. He didn't start things to be scandalous, he just did the right thing. I believe that Jesus recruited disciples to start a movement of changed people.

I personally do not want to be a part of a scandal. I want to just do the right thing. Can we just be radical as in way of thinking and acting that reflects God and not try to be radical in self description? If you really want to scandalous then you will have to change your approach and strategy, no way of getting around that. You should create packages for people to self deploy. There won't be a host/master to the program; no central head. It's 100% driven by participants, both content and actions. No funds collected. Just a thought.

Love this differentiation. Was talking to a friend of mine who directs communications for a large church and she said “I don't follow movements” – I loved that. It was so edgy and brave. Just like y'all!

Love this differentiation. Was talking to a friend of mine who directs communications for a large church and she said “I don’t follow movements” – I loved that. It was so edgy and brave. Just like y’all!