Deep Church as Third Way 7

Last updated on: September 29, 2009 at 12:05 am By Scot McKnight

Is there a Third Way for worship? Jim Belcher, in Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional examines this question and contends there is a genuine third way beyond the traditional and the emerging. What is your church doing to recover the ancient worship traditions? What are first steps for discovering our roots? Jim’s own experience might well express the whole issue: “I longed for the experience of God’s presence and desired the restoration of liturgical elements of worship.... Read more

Adultery, Jesus and the Church

Last updated on: September 28, 2009 at 7:53 pm By Scot McKnight

Nightline is doing a series on the Ten Commandments. The first show, which was last Thursday, was about adultery, the Seventh Commandment. We think Jesus shifted the focus of the 7th Commandment to the violation of love and made fidelity radical and essentially relational. What do you think? The Seventh Commandment is as simple as it is clear: “Do not commit adultery!” Instances of adultery evoke some of the fiercest comments in the whole Bible: it can be called the... Read more

Mugs: The New Fruitcake?

Last updated on: September 28, 2009 at 1:54 pm By Scot McKnight

When I was a kid, my great aunt came every Christmas, and one gift she always gave us was fruitcake. That fruitcake, even when I muster up my fondest of moments, was dry, tasteless, and — well, awful. In those days, fruitcake, for some unforgivable reason, had become the default gift. A default gift is the one you give when you can’t think of anything to give someone. What is your default gift? Today’s fruitcake, as least in my experience,... Read more

Acts and Mission 33

Last updated on: September 28, 2009 at 12:32 pm By Scot McKnight

The paradigmatic conversion story in the Book of Acts is the story of Paul, but that story contains a missional element many ignore. Paul’s “conversion” is not emphasized as one from sinner to saved but one from persecutor to missional agent. Conversion in the Pauline pattern is conversion from opposing God’s mission in this world to become an agent of God’s mission in this world. (Again, see: The Acts of the Apostles (Abingdon New Testament Commentaries) .) Notice the following... Read more

Gospel Exclusivists

Last updated on: September 28, 2009 at 6:26 am By Scot McKnight

Sometime back I did a series on a fine book by Terry Tiessen called Who Can Be Saved?: Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions . The book is a good one, but it was not easy to blog about. But, Terry has come to us with a question, and I’m hoping we can help him. He wants to know how folks understand the “exclusivist” position when it comes to “who will be saved?” So, let’s try to help get... Read more

Worthy of Imitation 10

Last updated on: September 28, 2009 at 12:07 am By Scot McKnight

What a wonderful person to choose to finish Patron Saints for Postmoderns: Ten from the Past Who Speak to Our Future. Chris Armstrong chooses, from the 20th Century, Dorothy Sayers and I love how he describes her: “Unorthodox in her personality, but passionately orthodox in her faith Dorothy Sayers would find herself (almost by accident) blessing a generation sunk in the spiritual doldrums” (182). Who is fan of Sayers? What’s your favorite of her books? How do you describe her? Ever... Read more

Kindle again

Last updated on: September 27, 2009 at 12:52 pm By Scot McKnight

In talking with Mike Goldsworthy, pastor at Parkcrest Christian in Long Beach, who uses a Kindle (Kindle: Amazon’s 6), I got to thinking again about purchasing and beginning to use the Kindle — it would sure make my trips lighter. Anyone want to speak up or about the Kindle? What do you like about it? Read more

Prayer of the Week

Last updated on: September 27, 2009 at 12:01 am By Scot McKnight

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Read more

Recent Recipes: Suggestions?

Last updated on: September 26, 2009 at 12:06 pm By Scot McKnight

We do our grocery shopping on weekends, and that gets us to thinking about what we’ll eat this week, and which recipes we’ll be using. I always hope we’ll make risotto (picture to the right), but… But I want to throw this open: What have you been cooking of late? Who’s got some good recipes to share with the Jesus Creed blog community? Read more

Weekly Meanderings

Last updated on: September 26, 2009 at 6:09 am By Scot McKnight

As Chicago’s summer ends, a man plays the sax to express his thoughts. Ed Dobson blogs! (HT: TG) Stephen Holmes, a professor of theology, on Mark Driscoll. Tullian Tchividjian survives (69-31%) a vote to oust him from Coral Ridge — a sad story, in my view. Compassion in all directions. Re-Creation in all directions. Gifts in all directions. Light in all directions. My favorite, influential authors. (Video below.) iMonk’s weekly wisdom. LaVonne’s weekly wisdom. Brett’s weekly wisdom. (When I worry... Read more