Unintended Consequences Of The Jesus Movement: Church by Org Chart

Last updated on: February 4, 2016 at 10:25 am By Michelle Van Loon

The middle-aged man stood before our group of mostly thirty-something congregational lay leaders and announced with the kind of certainty that comes from being a paid, invited consultant, “80% of most congregations are comprised of people with the spiritual gift of helps.” Our pastoral team had invited him to come to our church in the early 1980’s to help us come up with a way to move forward after the resignation of the leader who’d launched the church during the Jesus Movement during... Read more

On The Move Again

Last updated on: February 1, 2016 at 2:22 pm By Michelle Van Loon

I wish I could say we are following cloud by day, fire by night like our forebears in the Sinai did. My husband and I are seeking God, but our journey lacks a clear destination at this point. All I know is that we are facing another move in the next few weeks. When we received word that our lender had approved our short sale in 2012, they gave us 10 days to get out of our house. As we didn’t... Read more

Unintended Consequences Of The Jesus Movement: Voting Republican

Last updated on: January 27, 2016 at 1:03 pm By Michelle Van Loon

Remember when we were gonna not only change the world, but completely rearrange it? The Jesus Movement was seeded by the Spirit in the soil of the massive social unrest of the 1960’s. Many Boomers who came of age during this era learned that the military-industrial cabal responsible for U.S. involvement in Viet Nam, the Cold War, Agent Orange, and Wonder Bread needed to be dismantled. Young people discovered their voices as they questioned authority in the form of dissent, protest, and in... Read more

Can Two-Dimensional Non-Community Be Church?

Last updated on: January 21, 2016 at 8:09 am By Michelle Van Loon

In a world where many large Protestant churches livestream their services online, where both Catholic and Evangelicals/Charismatics have their own basic cable networks, why show up in person at a local church when you can watch a much slicker version of church on your computer or TV? Why show up at a local church when the “quality” of the worship service may seem like a low-budget version of old school TV talent show Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour and the group dynamics... Read more

Communion: Remembering To Remember

Last updated on: January 15, 2016 at 11:24 am By Michelle Van Loon

The church we currently attend* offers communion once-a-month-ish during its worship services. If a special event or speaker is slated, communion isn’t offered that month. Though I’ve spent four decades worshipping in mostly Evangelical churches, I’ve never bought in to the idea is a communion once-a-month post-script to the “real” worship service (sung worship, announcements, offering, and sermon). Passover Seders formed my context for communion, and time in Lutheran and Anglican congregations confirmed for me that communion wasn’t an add-on... Read more

Unintended Consequences of the Jesus Movement: Our Swag

Last updated on: January 11, 2016 at 8:21 am By Michelle Van Loon

If you’re a Jesus Person of a certain age and had a subversive streak, you probably remember the old Wittenburg Door magazine.* If you don’t, here’s a link to a 1986 Sun-Sentinel article about the Door that snapshots its role and voice, back in the day. The magazine simultaneously skewered the worst of Christian subculture, had great book and movie reviews, and offered some meaty articles by writers like the late Mike Yaconelli, Sheldon Vanauken and Tony Campolo and Tom... Read more

At The Intersection Of Time & Eternity: Epiphany

Last updated on: January 3, 2016 at 1:13 pm By Michelle Van Loon

We three kings of Orient are Bearing gifts we traverse afar Field and fountain, moor and mountain Following yonder star The royal seekers featured in this beloved carol are a part of every manger scene, usually represented by three kingly figures bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These star-following wise men played an important prophetic role the early days of the life of Jesus. Their arrival in Bethlehem to pay homage to the baby King born in a lowly stable is... Read more

Review: Beginnings

Last updated on: January 4, 2016 at 3:38 pm By Michelle Van Loon

Steve Wiens wants us to stop pursuing an ideal life. Most of us dedicate ourselves to this goal – and that includes Christians, who tend to baptize this pursuit in spiritual language. For example, whenever I ask a group to tell me what comes to mind when they hear the words abundant life, their answers tend to go right to the stuff of ideal life wins: material blessings, problem-free relationships, fulfilling and lucrative jobs, and an upgraded zip code. Wiens suggests that... Read more

At The Intersection Of Time & Eternity: Christmas

Last updated on: December 25, 2015 at 9:34 am By Michelle Van Loon

On December 26th, Christmas wrapping paper is marked down for clearance, and suddenly all that red and green decor festooning the house starts looking a little stale. Christmas is over, right? Actually, the liturgical season of Christmas begins on December 25th and lasts twelve days. The song about those twelve days – you know, the one with the partridge in a pear tree – references the time span, but is a secular celebration of the sacred Christmas season. The Jewish... Read more

#AdventWord 2015

Last updated on: December 24, 2015 at 9:01 am By Michelle Van Loon

I’ve enjoyed participating in this year’s #AdventWord Instagram journey with the online community connected with St. John the Evangelist. Each day, the brothers of the order gave us a word we could use for contemplation. We were invited to share our Instagrammed images inspired by that word with others. Here are mine. Blessings as you make your way to the manger this year. Read more