I had no idea. What sort of Anabaptist doesn’t know about this. Today is Menno Simons day. To celebrate, I share with you a quote found at the Circle of Hope church’s blog: “True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant. It clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded; it has become all things to all people. The regenerated do not... Read more
* Repost from December 2010 It makes plain sense… or so I was taught. When I was a youth and even in my undergrad program I was taught a phrase to guide solid biblical interpretation: “If the plain sense makes sense, seek no other sense.” What this advocates is to take the bible at the surface level of its meaning. So, if Paul says something that to us sounds literal or “plain” on the surface, then we ought to be... Read more
I came across an article, thanks to my good friend Jason, that gives us a small picture of Jubilee. Debts forgiven, this is a central theme in the biblical narrative, one that ultimately becomes actualized in a person: Jesus Christ. Now, I think we do well not to over spiritualize Jesus declaration of Jubilee in Luke 4, but to recognize that for Jesus it had a social and spiritual component. With that said, here’s the story. A 375-year-old French bank... Read more
The imagery of Ramses’ war camp at the battle of Kadesh at Abu Simbel shows remarkable similarities to the design of the tabernacle. God often communicates his desire to be with his people through familiar images and customs. This clip is an excerpt from Ray Vander Laan’s full-length Faith Lessons™ video series Vol. 10, With All Your Heart. Read more
I’m currently attending a wonderful church, connected to my seminary. I love the way in which they represent the Anabaptist way of following Jesus, not giving into nationalism or violence. They are a voice of peace, grace, and love. I noticed this love recently in a hymn that was selected to sing. I was so impressed that I pulled out my phone and took a picture of the song right out of the hymnal. If “Love Wins” were a hymn…... Read more
Below is the first session in a small group series I’m currently engaging in called “Surprised by Hope” based loosley on the book by the same title. If you are part of a church small group community, I HIGHLY recommend this study! Paradigm shifting stuff! Read more
For the next few days I am going to introduce you to a book that I’ve found to be a great resource. It’s called Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories that Shape our Lives, by Wilkens and Sanford. The rest of the series can be read here. The ninth chapter deals with the final hidden worldview: salvation by therapy. The authors observe that therapy has become the catch all for any problems that people face. Whether the death of a loved... Read more
For the next few days I am going to introduce you to a book that I’ve found to be a great resource. It’s called Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories that Shape our Lives, by Wilkens and Sanford. The rest of the series can be read here. The sixth chapter reflects on scientific naturalism. This cultural story “holds that all that exists is physical and can be reduced to its elemental material composition” (100). Essentially it believes that matter is eternal,... Read more
Jesus offers a model for reconciliation in Matthew 18.15-17. Often, these three verses are used for the opposite of this: alienation. These words operate as a law in some settings, when in fact they are meant to give guidance toward restoring relationship. Over the past few days, Matthew Paul Turner hosted a series of blogs (#1 & #2) about a guy named Andrew. It was found out that he engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior and he was placed on church... Read more
A great insight from Francis Chan… Read more
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