Slow Church
I don't have much time for reading now, as we are very close to getting the Slow Church book manuscript wrapped up... But once that's done, I look forward to diving into some of these books this summer! Read more
I don't have much time for reading now, as we are very close to getting the Slow Church book manuscript wrapped up... But once that's done, I look forward to diving into some of these books this summer! Read more
Amy Peterson offers a wonderful list of suggestions for how churches could promote alternative ways of thinking about clothes, a slow fashion of sorts that is rooted in our faith communities. Read more
[Adapted from a script I wrote for a video that IVP made for the Inhabit conference. My segment didn’t get used in the IVP video, but these thoughts are worth sharing here on the blog] My friends at the Parish Collective often speak of the importance of parishes being rooted and linked. These two virtues show us two different ways that storytelling works in our local churches. Storytelling is absolutely essential to the health and flourishing of local parishes.... Read more
If you hadn’t heard already, Englewood did win a $25,000 grant from State Farm for our garden project!!!! Huge thanks to everyone who voted for us, we are very grateful for your friendship. Mike Bowling, pastor of Englewood Christian Church, wrote this little reflection for our congregation’s May newsletter… —————————– We are a wealthy church! However, our wealth does not come through the offering plate; it is not stored away in a bank vault. Our wealth is our... Read more
An excerpt from the new book: Occupy Religion: Theology of the Multitude By Joerg Rieger and Kwok Pui-lan Hardback: Rowman and Littlefield, 2012. Page 122. Buy now: [ Amazon ] [ Kindle ] HT: Ric Hudgens for pointing out this passage (Ric is working on a review of this book for The Englewood Review of Books) Generally speaking, these words ring true in my experience of the emergent church. What do you think? Is it possible that race and class... Read more
(John and I were both at the Inhabit conference over the weekend; it was wonderful as always and we will get some reflections on that posted later this week.) TODAY is the last day to vote for the Englewood Neighborhood on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis (where I live, work and worship), in its quest for a $25,000 grant Neighborhood Assist Grant from State Farm. Can you do two quick things that will be a huge help us? 1)... Read more
Starting today, the Englewood Neighborhood on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis (where I live, work and worship), is in the running for a $25,000 grant Neighborhood Assist Grant from State Farm. If we would win, the money would be used to turn our community garden and the adjacent lot into a playspace and Nature education outdoor classroom We have worked with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to develop a plan for the space, which if you are interested, you can view here…... Read more
[Author’s Note: A couple years ago I was asked to contribute to an article for Relevant Magazine about “five things we wish our pastors knew.” Other contributors included Anne Marie Miller, Enuma Okoro, Matthew Paul Turner, and Jason Boyett. I wrote my piece as a kind of open letter to our church’s new pastor. I’m reposting it here because it was written during, and inspired by, Holy Week.] Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday represent the hinge of human... Read more
[Update: Make sure to check out Coté Soerens’s response to this post. She brings up some important points: “Yet, we are a long ways to go in the task of breaking long-held barriers to diversity and dialogue between communities in the US…The forces behind homogeneity in our church communities, such as discrimination, privilege, and inequality, demand holistic efforts based on tireless presence and practice.” I’m happy Coté is one of the presenters at this year’s conference.] One of the most distressing aspects of... Read more
[Note: Today is the birthday of the great Japanese Catholic novelist Shusaku Endo. To mark the occasion, we’re posting an essay John wrote for Besides the Bible: 100 Books that Have, Should, or Will Create Christian Culture (IVP, 2010) about Endo’s powerful novel, Silence. The director Martin Scorsese has said he hopes to start production on a film adaptation of Silence in 2014.] Francis Xavier disembarked at the southernmost tip of Japan in August 1549, and for two years the trailblazing Jesuit missionary... Read more
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