The new sculpture of Mr. Rogers in Pittsburgh. Eugene Cho’s ODW is a hit. Good for Eugene, good for all of us. When did death enter the picture? What kind of death then entered the picture? Which one is your favorite? (I like Tim and Joel.) Which one is your favorite? (I like #2.) Which one is your favorite? (What some people do who have too much time to these sorts of things.) Bill Donahue‘s excellent post on filling rows... Read more
We are pursuing on this blog a set of posts on the church’s educational ministry and how a Third Way approach to preaching can reshape and revitalize preaching’s impact. * I believe most preachers think sermons have an impact. * I believe most preachers pray and prepare in order to have an impact. * I believe most preachers believe God’s Spirit is at work during reading and preaching the Word. * But I also believe this: most preachers do not... Read more
In their new book, Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives , Steve Wilkens and Mark Sanford examine cultural scripts that work against the gospel work in the Church. Our theme today: nationalism. The motto: My Nation, Under God. Honest question: If Jesus were alive and living in the USA today would he be a patriotic American? Who has learned his or her lesson about the seductiveness of nationalism? How did you learn it? Now Wilkens and Sanford... Read more
Greg Boyd, in his newest book, The Myth of a Christian Religion: Losing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolution warns us about “religion” in today’s post. As a teen Boyd was rescued from drugs and sex and rock and roll into “religion” at a Pentecostal church. He made a complete break and signed up on the sheet — he was in and the others were out. But he wasn’t good at the religion thing. So what does he... Read more
This week’s commandment is #5: “You shall not murder.” Easy enough to understand, except when it comes to defense against an intruder — or when a person is in the military — or when a person is a judge who makes decisions about the death penalty — or when it comes to what we call “involuntary manslaughter” — like driving too fast and accidentally hitting another car and someone dying as a result. And what about euthanasia? Or what about... Read more
John Goldingay’s 3volume theology of the Old (First) Testament is now complete. I blogged through volume one way back when but volume two wore me down … Yet, my courage has been refreshed and I will begin volume 3 in December or January. Here’s my invitation to purchase and read along with us — I’m guessing either one post per week or one post every other week. A bit of a class on OT theological ethics. The third volume (Old... Read more
Here goes the fundamental decision by the Apostolic council in Jerusalem. They debate whether or not Gentiles have to be follow the Torah to be saved — reduced to circumcision. Peter, Paul, Barnabas tells stories; James knows their stories but appeals to Scripture. Gentiles are part of the eschatological people of God, and experience shows that they come in by faith and not by Torah. So they render this most important of decisions: 15:19 “Therefore I conclude that we should not... Read more
Today’s post wraps up our brief series on Harvey Cox’s new book The Future of Faith. The last several chapters of the book, and in fact various passages throughout the book, present some of Cox’s thoughts on the future of faith – and more specifically his hopes for the future of the Christian faith. Today I would like to focus our discussion on the future. Cox notes – as have many others – that the future of the church is... Read more
Greg Boyd, in his newest book, The Myth of a Christian Religion: Losing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolution summons us to revolt against idols and — in today’s post — against judgment. How pervasive is judgmentalism? What do you think we can do about it? Would you say it is idolatrous to judge others? Greg, sitting in a mall watching people, began to listen to his own commentary on the people he was watching and was amazed... Read more
A friend of mine declares that “political correctness is a synonym for moral cowardice” while another friend says it’s nothing more than the morals of the political left. Which means that political incorrectness means moral courage and the morals of the political right. What about you? Do you think the expression “politically correct” or “politically incorrect” has any value in public rhetoric? What do such expressions mean to you? What is your best example of something that is “politically correct”... Read more
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