Are there any new emerging proposals for preaching? Jim Belcher, in Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional examines the theory of Doug Pagitt. (I blogged about that book with Doug when it came out, and since then I’ve done more thinking about his proposal.) The questions I have are these: Do you think there is a problem with preaching in the traditional model? (We need to hear from you.) What are the problems? Is it what Pagitt... Read more
I want to post two answers Rob Bell gave to the Boston Globe where he defines evangelical. Tomorrow I want to discuss something about a trend I’ve observed about the word “evangelical.” What do you think of his definition? Q. What does it mean to you to be an evangelical? A. [Rob Bell] I take issue with the word to a certain degree, so I make a distinction between a capital E and a small e. I was in the Caribbean in... Read more
Who wants to tell a story about the hardest (next-door) neighbor they’ve had to learn how to love? The practical reality is that it is much easier to want to love your neighbor than to love your neighbor in deed. Read more
Every pastor needs this book on the shelf. Every church needs five copies of this book in store. And of course every widow could benefit from this book because it is written to help with “the new you.” That book is Miriam Neff’s From One Widow to Another: Conversations on the New You . Written by a widow, written for widows, this book reads like the experience of sitting at a coffee table watching one widow minister to another widow.... Read more
The narrative of Acts shifts back to Peter, and Peter’s story is about his healings which set up his mission to Gentiles — showing that Peter and Paul were on the same page: the gospel is for all. 9:32 Now as Peter was traveling around from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter said... Read more
This series is by Michael Kruse and it concerns economics — a basics in economics. Most of us, and I include myself, no next to nothing about how economics work and so this series is here for the education of all of us. (Thanks Mike.) Division of labor, mechanization, and trade has given rise to prosperous societies. Economic prosperity is spreading around the globe. Most people welcome the improving material quality of life. But is this prosperity sustainable? Commodities and... Read more
Michael Card, known mostly for his lyrics and music and concerts (and one of my favorite Christian musicians), has explored how it is that Christians find freedom. And what he has discovered is that freedom comes through slavery, which is the subject of his new book: A Better Freedom: Finding Life As Slaves of Christ . Can’t resist: What’s your favorite Michael Card song? Your favorite lyric? What I have liked most about Card over the years is his study... Read more
The space may be land-locked, but Parkcrest Christian Church is growing and expanding all ways: spiritually, geographically, and numerically. Led by Mike Goldsworthy, one of the younger megachurch pastors in the USA, Parkcrest reaches into the neighborhoods and into the lives of folks in Long Beach. I was thrilled with the salt of the earth folks I met, and kept saying to myself “This is what church is.” They all pitched in for the baptism when they discovered the baptismal... Read more
Our examination of the missional theme of Acts continues — Paul’s life is dramatically changed. He shifts from persecution to mission, and the result is that he now experiences what the disciples had been experiencing at his hand. (If you are looking for commentaries on Acts, here are my recommendations: Acts.) The irony is noticeable in Acts: 9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. They were also... Read more
Last week I posted on an article from Discover Magazine on the science of sin (Part One and Part Two). This article described a number of studies where the human brain was imaged as a function of external stimulus. These kinds of studies are in their infancy – so the results should be considered with interest and a dose of healthy skepticism. The basic ideas are sound – but as the work progresses there will no doubt be refinements and... Read more
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