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

Aicha … ooh,ooh, ooooh

Last updated on: September 25, 2009 at 3:00 pm By Scot McKnight

Gun Control Heats Up: Annie Get Your Gun!

Last updated on: September 25, 2009 at 12:48 pm By Scot McKnight

Carol Costello, of CNN’s American Morning, is investigating the interest of Americans in gun ownership and gun control and the right to bear (and wear) a gun in public. The “Comments” at her blog are now up to 271 and she says she’ll be doing more about this. Most of the comments are strongly in favor, and not a little anger being expressed in the comments…. How are Christians thinking about this issue? Read more

Friday is for Friends: T

Last updated on: September 25, 2009 at 6:00 am By Scot McKnight

Several Fridays ago, Scot allowed me to post here about several reasons that working supernaturally with and through the Spirit (healings, prophetic insights, etc.) can be a match made in heaven–and on earth–for those interested in joining God’s mission. We also discussed how the strengths of the missional church movement would also be very helpful to those already working with the Spirit in this way. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when Scot started the series on the book of Acts. And the... Read more

Worthy of Imitation 9

Last updated on: September 25, 2009 at 12:07 am By Scot McKnight

One of the most popular slogans of the last two decades, showing up all over the world in bracelets, was “WWJD?” What would Jesus do? I don’t know how that got started with our youth and how it went “viral” (before viral meant viral), but I do know that the pastor who got the whole thing started was Charles Sheldon — and Chris Armstrong has a fascinating chapter about Sheldon in his new book: Patron Saints for Postmoderns: Ten from... Read more

Trinity Covenant — Manchester CT

Last updated on: September 24, 2009 at 2:01 pm By Scot McKnight

Kris and I were kindly invited to the wonderful Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester CT last weekend. It was good to be with Phil Hakanson and Peter Tullson. And Phil and family are friends with my editor, Lil Copan, and it was great to see Lil again. I wanted to say more about Lil when I spoke, but I became emotional and couldn’t get through it … so I went on to the Jesus Creed (which she edited). We find... Read more

Acts and Mission 32

Last updated on: September 24, 2009 at 11:56 am By Scot McKnight

Paul loomed over chapter 8 in Acts; he now lights up the pages with a conversion story. It’s appropriate to have this text today, because tonight I will give a lecture at a North Park seminary conference on the conversion of the apostle Paul. Caravaggio’s rendering is to our right — I like Caravaggio’s use of color and light. 9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to... Read more

Science and Sin 2 (RJS)

Last updated on: September 29, 2010 at 8:37 pm By RJS

“Why does being bad feel so good?” Studies of brain response to various situations may provide important insights to this question. In the last post in this series we considered some of the science pertaining to lust, gluttony, and sloth as discussed in the article “Seven Deadly Sins” in the September 2009 issue of Discover Magazine (the magazine has a website at discovermagazine.com – but this article is not available on-line, at least not yet). Today I would like consider... Read more

Deep Church as Third Way 6

Last updated on: September 24, 2009 at 12:07 am By Scot McKnight

So, what about the gospel? Is there a Third Way for the gospel? Isn’t the traditional gospel the real gospel? Jim Belcher, in Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional, poses this question by examining the gospel in Brian McLaren. Jim Belcher says the problem for the emerging criticism of tradition is that the gospel is reduced to forgiveness and eternal life; the critics of Brian say he has reduced the gospel to social justice, and therefore resurrected... Read more

George Barna on Health Care Programs

Last updated on: September 23, 2009 at 2:31 pm By Scot McKnight

George Barna has used his research and his platform to speak into the health care reform debate, and I lift three quotes to solicit your response: In essence, what Americans seem to want is increased government services, more efficient delivery of services, no increase in taxes, and no personal involvement in the process. In a nutshell, our argument is: it’s not my fault and it’s not my job, so let the paid professionals deal with it. In short, Jesus Christ... Read more