Is there a new holiday I don’t know about? I’m thinking today might have been unofficial “Anti-Rick Warren” day and no one informed the rest of us. I have heard so much smack talk about Rick Warren lately that’s out of control.

Yes, he sold millions of books. Yes, he Pastors a big church. Yes, he has a passion to reach people that don’t know Jesus. Yes, he is using the money he earned from his books sales to help plant churches and relieve the pain of those suffering in Africa. I know these are all reasons to hate. 🙂

Seriously, I’ve heard people criticizing him for agreeing to speak to people in North Korea because they’re Communist. (Everyone knows Communists don’t need the Gospel!) I heard a Pastor call him a “Punk” at a Pastor’s Conference because USA Today called Rick a uniter of the faith (How dare they say nice things about Christians!).

Friends, there is an enemy, but his name isn’t Rick. I don’t agree with everything Rick says or does. That’s not the point. The point is that he loves Jesus and is seeking to serve Him as He feels led of the Lord. If you don’t like him or his books, here’s a suggestion: Don’t read his books or listen to his messages! Come on people, we know this stuff! Under the guise of needing to be discerning, we slander people who are our brothers and sisters in the faith.

So in light of all the negative stuff I’ve heard about Rick today, I’ve decided that Friday July 7th is Pro-Rick day where people can leave positive comments about Rick.

(Just to save some of you time and speculation: I am not a Purpose Driven Church. I did read the book several years ago and thought it was good. I read the Purpose Driven Life and even bought my dad a copy of it. I think the book is helpful for many. I don’t see eye to eye with everything they do at Saddleback. Some of their stuff isn’t our style, but I appreciate their work for the kingdom.)