Growing up, I was similarly taught as Suzanne Burden points out: “No one should divorce, ever, unless their spouse cheats on them; then they can get divorced and remarried.” The problem, of course, is that this sort of teaching leads to Christian women enduring violence – being “Battered into Submission.” Many pastors have gone to the extreme of teaching that an abused spouse need only to “work stuff out” and ought to do a better job of “submitting.” This is... Read more
Hearing God. One of the great dillemas of the Christian life. Can we actually “hear God” and if so, what does that mean? Some believe, for instance that God only speaks through the Bible. In some extreme cases, this leads to a subtle form of bibliolotry (worship of the Bible instead of the God therewithin). But if we take the Bible on its own terms, it seems as though the Book itself counteracts this claim consistantly. Others believe that God... Read more
I really appreciate Greg Boyd’s clarity and wisdom on the issue of Syria. Here’s an excerpt from a recent blogpost: The first thing I’ll say is that I don’t believe that being a kingdom pacifist (viz. on who swears off violence out of obedience to Jesus) means that one must embrace the conviction that governments are supposed to embrace pacifism. Many people assume this, and I’ve found that the implausibility of this position is one of the main reasons some... Read more
My friend Mark Moore has lots of good things to say about following Jesus. Consider this excerpt an go and check out his full article & blog: Suppose I answer my phone today and there is a woman’s voice on the other end of the line and she says, “Mark,” I am absolutely 100% positive that I will correctly recognize the voice if it is my wife calling. If, on the other hand, Tom Cruise calls me and simply says,... Read more
I may have shared this in the past, but it is an insightful look at the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus’ teachings in general… Read more
A Word About a Revolutionary Network Meeting There is a growing movement of pastors, church planters, and churches around the globe who have become convinced that the center of the Gospel is a Jesus-looking God who calls his people to partner with him to advance a Jesus-looking kingdom. They sense that God is pouring out “new kingdom wine” that is bursting apart the tired old wineskins of Christendom. They sense we are at the cusp of a rising kingdom revolution... Read more
I have shared the content of this video before as an introduction into why I believe that women and men can serve together in every role within the church (in the form of the full written paper). My conviction (and that of my denomination – Brethren in Christ), is that women ought to be invited (in so far that the Spirit draws them) to be pastors, leaders, teachers, bishops, etc… without distinction. Here’s N.T. Wright’s excellent paper via video: For... Read more
Preston Sprinkle, co-author of Erasing Hell (with Francis Chan), has written a book that ought to be exciting the progressive end of the evangelical world – Fight: A Christian Case for Nonviolence. Many of us, Anabaptist and otherwise, are strongly convinced that nonviolence is central to the gospel of Jesus. For conservative Christians, this is a provocative book that is written by an insider. Preston makes this clear: (more…) Read more
This is amazing. I love both these brothas! Read more
As a high school student, after a dramatic turn-around toward the end of my sophomore year, I began to engage with God through devotional readings (or “quiet times”). Such was encouraged by mentors and camp speakers as a way through which to grow in Christ. The ebb and flow of my devotional journey yielded significant moments with God, while other times legalism crept in. Many folks in my life would tell of similar experiences. One of my favorite times with... Read more
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