April 27, 2006

The new “EE” will not be like the old one. The quotations yesterday are from an emerging leader indeed, but he died long ago: his name is Walter Rauschenbusch. I want to contend that the emerging form of evangelism is presently following the path of Rauschenbusch (that is, strive for the kingdom of God in the here and now), and he is largely responsible for the creation of the so-called social gospel. Now some will say this is the kiss... Read more

April 27, 2006

Here’s a thesis Mark Biddle, in his excellent new study on sin (Missing the Mark), defends in his last chapter: “Sin creates a real circumstance that lingers in the world until it comes to fruition — sometimes with the assistance of accusers and sometimes with God’s ‘permission’ or even encouragement — or until it is deactivated” (118). In other words, sin is an act, it is guilt and it entails consequences. It can take on a life of its own.... Read more

April 27, 2006

I don’t what the future holds for seminaries, but I do know this: Biblical Seminary in Hatfield, PA (just north of Philadelphia) is intentionally missional. I can’t possibly fill you in on the details here, but I do want to record my excitement about Biblical and some observations. |inline Read more

April 26, 2006

I’m in Philadelphia tonight and tomorrow speaking with various folks about seminary and church education in a missional and emerging context. Tonight I had dinner with my friend, and former colleage at TEDS, David Dunbar. He’s now President at Biblical Seminary, and they are on-board to develop a missionally-shaped seminary. |inline Read more

April 26, 2006

I am in Philadelphia today at Biblical Theological Seminary, and we will be discussing the future of the seminary; I will begin one of my sessions with them with the following…. Which emerging leader do you think said these things about evangelism in an emerging context? I will suggest tomorrow that this thinker is paving the path for what I’m calling the “new evangelism” or the new “EE”. |inline Read more

April 26, 2006

One of the most pressing issues about “sin” for theologians is the issue of intention. Does it count for a sin only when we intend something to be harmful? According to Biddle, in his Missing the Mark, we make a mistake in sinking all of sin into intention. Why? |inline Read more

April 25, 2006

We replaced our back porch carpeting a couple weeks back. ( “We” is a very generous use of “we.”) There’s a couple of stories in our carpets. |inline Read more

April 25, 2006

Cookies. I’m trying to figure out what’s next on my list but am having a hard time figuring what is next — ah, yes, the adjournment motion and the second and vote. Perhaps the best way of saying this is to record this conversation I had with Kris on my way home yesterday after our Faculty Meeting. We were both on our new cell phones: |inline Read more

April 25, 2006

Biddle’s fourth chapter in Missing the Mark is concerned with what lies underneath the previous two themes of the problem of sin: the desire to strive to be more than we are (pride) and the fear to become what we are intended to be (sloth re: Christlikeness). Behind both is what gives life to both of these dimensions: |inline Read more

April 24, 2006

Missing the Mark, chp. 3, by Mark Biddle. I began wondering where Biddle might lead us when he titles this chapter “Sin: Failure to Embrace Authentic Freedom,” but by the time he was done I thought it was a profound set of reflections on a crucial element of sin. Do you see sin as falling short of the Image of God? Does this mean atonement is about empowerment? |inline Read more


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